News Broadcasting
High Court rejects Kher’s petition against Zee
The Mumbai High Court on Wednesday quashed film actor Anupam Kher’s hopes of getting back at Zee Telefilms for the summary way in which he was dismissed as host of its flop game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK). In his petition, Kher had challenged his ‘arbitrary’ termination. He had also sought an injunction from the court to restrain Zee from discontinuing with the programme without him as a host.
Zee in its defence blamed Kher as the one who breached the contract by speaking to the media and said it was justified in removing him from the show, Press Trust of India reported. After hearing both the parties at length, Justice KK Baam, rejected Kher’s petition on the ground that such a dispute could only be decided through arbitration. Since nothing survived in the petition, it was disposed of by the court. Kher is now free to refer the matter to arbitration or prefer an appeal against this order.
“No doubt, Anupam is a good artist. Yet, he cannot compel Zee to retain him as a host,” the judge remarked. Kher had challenged the notice of 9 December served on him by Zee informing him of its decision to drop him from SDCK.
Kher’s counsel Janak Dwarkadas contended that Zee had no right to terminate his client’s services without giving him 60 days prior notice as this was one of the conditions of the contract signed between Kher and Zee on 13 October. Zee’s erratic dealings had publicly humiliated and psychologically traumatised Kher, Dwarkadas claimed. Zee’s counsel V Tulzapurkar countered that Kher had himself committed breach of contract by his utterances in the media which included his saying he was not interested in the show. Neither Zee nor Kher responded to calls requesting further details on the developments.
Meanwhile, the Cine TV and Artistes Association (CTVAA) committee, to which Kher had sent a complaint relating to the same case, was yet to meet on the matter. Association Secretary Dharmesh Tiwari had said on 14 December that a meeting would be taking place within a couple of days. Gathering all the committee members from their various commitments is proving a major hurdle.
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.
