News Broadcasting
Kannada film producers call for one day strike
BANGALORE: Unhappy with the deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah’s state budget proposal on entertainment tax on non-Kannada films, the Kannada Film Producers Association (KFPA) has decided to go on a one-day strike on 23 July.
The film industry, in its pre-budgetary representation, had requested the deputy chief minister to refrain from reducing entertainment tax on non-Kannada films from 70 per cent to 40 per cent. That the government didn’t oblige the KFPA’s request is the reason for the strike call.
The association members are planning to meet the state deputy chief minister on 26 July to make a formal request to reconsider the proposal.
KFPA has also demanded that the government should extend subsidy to all the Kannada films produced in the state, with the exception of remakes and sex and violence-dominated films. The Karnataka Film Exhibitors Association (KFExA) has, however, agreed to temporarily accept the budget proposal.
The release of a number of movies could be delayed by a week if the strike takes place.
The state already provides subsidy to the extent of Rs.1 million per film for a select 20 films per year. Whether the viewer will benefit from the proposed tax cut or not remains to be seen. The authority for pricing of tickets rests solely with the theatre owners.
Pricing is generally determined by various factors such as location of the theater and the fluctuations in its show timing collections, among other things. It is likely that the prices in major cities may remain the same, but in villages and towns where the ticket cost could affect the collections in a major way, the tax reduction benefit may be passed onto the viewer.
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.
