News Broadcasting
Hanuman goes animated; series to launch next December
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Toonz Animations has announced that it will launch its second home production, an animated series called Adventures of Hanuman on Cartoon Network next year.
The series on Ramayana’s monkey-warrior Hanuman will hit the television screens by December 2004 and will be shown in 13 half-hour episodes, according to a company release.
Toonz Animation CEO Bill Dennis was quoted in the release as saying that full production of the series will begin by December 2003, and that it will take place completely in-house at Toonz Studios in Thiruvananthapuram.
Dennis mentions that the estimated cost for the entire series would be under $1 million.
The Adventures of Hanuman takes a unique journey into modern mythology while paying homage to traditional legend, the release specifies. Toonz creative director Atul Rao is the story editor and creative producer for the series. The four writers who penned the script were selected after a special training on creative writing.
“In this series, the immortal Hanuman lives today, retaining all his legendary powers. As Hanuman’s new adventures continue in the 21st Century, each and every story bridges the gap between ancient mythology and the modern world,” the release quotes Rao as saying.
Talking on the technology of blending 2D and 3D animation in this series, Rao says, “3D effects are being used as a tool to enhance the cartoon.”
Dennis explains that while developing Hanuman’s character the primary importance was to keep the integrity of the character intact. “We are confident that Hanuman will be a bigger hit that Tenali Raman. West gave us men powers like Spiderman, Superman and He-Man, India gives them Hanuman in return.”
Toonz is also holding talks with producers to market Hanuman in the US and European markets, Dennis informs.
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.
