News Broadcasting
Hallmark to celebrate Christmas spirit with specials
MUMBAI: With Christmas just a month away, Hallmark plans to fill the air with good cheer through films and a musical special.
On 21 December, the channel will air A Christmas Visitor at 10:15 pm. A family shattered by the past and struggling with the future will be changed by one visitor. In the small American town of New Chatham, Christmas is approaching for the Boyajian family. But a husband, wife and their daughter have lost the desire to celebrate. They have been immersed in grief since the death of their son on Christmas Eve in 1991 during the Gulf War,
The family has forgone the familial comfort and pleasures of the holidays. Things start to turn around when the father picks up a hitchhiker. He agrees to pretend that he knew their beloved son in the war.
On Christmas eve at 9:30 pm, the appropriately titled Silent Night airs: It is set during the second world war in Germany’s Ardennes forest. Soldiers are forced to confront the realities of the war face to face. What they discover is the true meaning of courage and the true spirit of the night on which Christ was born. It stars Linda Hamilton of Terminator fame.
On Christmas Day 25 December the film Santa Jr. takes centrestage at the same time. The focus is on Santa’s son . Chris Kringle, Jr. He is going into the family business, but the reluctant heir to the gift-giving throne isn’t exactly living up to his potential. Therefore he has to learn to trust the Christmas spirit and believe in the magic of giving. After all, the future of Christmas depends on it.
The action continues on Boxing Day with Mr. St. Nick. Santa is all set to retire and turn over the sleigh to his son, Nick St. Nicholas. However junior is too busy soaking up the sun in Miami to have any interest in the on goings at Mistletoe Manor. In addition, a less than noble public relations guy now has junior’s ear, with plans to exploit his royal connections online. It stars Charles Durning and Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer
On 28 December at 10:15 pm the channel has a musical treat in store. A Musical Christmas From The Vatican will air. Famous musicians from around the world perform in front of Pope Paul VI including Canadian rock star Bryan Adams.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
