News Broadcasting
Hallmark to pull out the stops for new series ‘The Guardian’
Hallmark channel is all set and ready to roll for its latest programme initiative The Guardian. The show commences on 7 July and will air every Sunday at 8 pm.
In a bid to increase visibility, Hallmark had its first ever public screening in Mumbai last evening. Designed as a litmus test, the channel was trying to gauge feedback about the the show. Marketing manager Hallmark India Murtuza Kagalwala said a multi-media campaign supporting the series would kick off from the first of next month. Details were still being finalised, he said. Kagalwala said that with the show the channel was trying to create mass appeal for the channel within its niche audience. The Guardian is a show that one can watch with the whole family unlike a few of the channels programme initiatives in the past, which targeted either women or kids, he said.
The show stars Simon Baker who earlier this year earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Nick Fallin, the central character of The Guardian. Nick is a corporate lawyer compelled to do community service as the result of a drug conviction.
Baker made the following remarks: “Nick is very complex in nature. It’s appealing to play a character who is constantly being challenged both personally and professionally.”
The first two episodes were screened and what was impressive was the down to earth nature of the story. The characters should go down well with the audience as the various conflicting situations confronting them are easy to identify with. The intricacies of the law and court proceedings were well handled without bogging down the storyline.
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.
