News Broadcasting
IBN7 unveils special lineup for Christmas and New Year
MUMBAI: With the Christmas and New Year around, all channels are planning to package content differently to woo more viewers. Joining the bandwagon, Hindi news channel IBN7 unveils special programming to entertain the viewer this festive season.
Beginning 24 December, the programming will have a mix of shows ranging from Bollywood gossips, laughter shows, and musical evening with the Indian Idol contestants and small screen child artists.
IBN7 managing editor Ashutosh said, “We welcome the New Year with an array of programmes on IBN7 which has specially being designed keeping in mind our discerning viewers’ choice. We have tried to create an innovative package for our audience that would entertain them and reignite their emotions with the year end special shows.”
On 24 December at 8 pm, the channel will air Director’s Cut, Aamir, wherein Bollywood actor Aamir Khan will talk about the upcoming release Ghajini and his rival Shahrukh Khan in the one-hour studio based show, hosted by Richa Anirudh. On 25th evening, a 30-minute special with Indian Idol contestants will be aired.
On 28 December at 8 pm, the channel will show Amazing Kids in Zindagi Live. The special episode will feature kids who have set world records at a very tender age and have got themselves registered in Guinness book of world records.
Hanstey Hanstey will wrap up all special episodes of some of its hallmark shows on 31 December at 10 pm and on 1 January at 10 am. 31 December evening will also see a special one-hour musical show featuring the Indian Idol contestants humming their favorite songs, share their on-stage experience and talk about the show, the judges and their future plans.
The channel will also air Balika Vadhu special Zindagi Live on 4 January. The special episodes will bring popular child star Balika Vadhu’s – Anandi and her on-screen husband – Jagdish.
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.
