News Broadcasting
‘KBC’ signs off in style… with Star promising to bring it back
After over 300 episodes on air, nearly 3000 contestants, over 500 people on the hotseat, a more than 60,000 studio audience, over 90 million phone calls, and more than Rs 260 million given away as prize money, Kaun Banega Crorepati, the show that resurrected a channel and a fading Bollywood superstar, signed off today. With a promise that it would be back.
KBC, the show that Star licenced from Celador’s Who wants To be a Millionaire and launched in June 2000, not only raised Star to the No. 1 position but also gave actor Amitabh Bachchan a fresh lease on superstardom.
Said Sameer Nair, executive V-P, content & communication, Star Network: “We’ve enjoyed every moment of the show, shooting with Amitabh Bachchan, guests stars, interacting with audiences, and basking in the unprecedented success of the show. Every, such show needs a small break and now it’s time for Kaun Banega Crorepati too. Come, July-August, and watch out we’ll be back with Amitabh Bachchan and a big, brighter and bigger show.”
Whether Bachchan will be back in the hot seat if and when the show returns only time will tell; but the Big B did, during the course of the show, leave that particular issue open ended.
And as the guest on the grand finale show, Star Plus brought back Harshvardhan Nawathe, KBC’s first ‘crorepati’ (10 millionaire?).
From next week (16 January), Cinevista’s Sanjivani, a hospital drama with actor Mohnish Behl in the lead, goes on air. And Star’s rivals can get set for a channel stakes battle with a far more level playing field – without the Big B’s shadow hanging over the proceedings.
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.
