News Broadcasting
Max lines up its New Year’s movie fare
There have been reports that television channels are ushering the new year on a low key note. Notwithstanding this Sony Entertainment Television's Max, which positions itself as the home of Indian Cinema, is pulling out all the stops to woo the Bollywood buff.
The show starts nice and early at 9 am on New Year's Day with Heena, a love story set in the conflict between India and Pakistan and stars Rishi Kapoor and Pakistani heroine Zeba. Ashwini Bhave, Saeed Jaffrey, Kiran Kumar and Farida Jalal costar along with Raza Murad as the villain. Ravindra Jain's lilting melodies sung by Lata Mangeshkar are a highlight of the film.
In the evening at 4 pm watch the Big B star in his 80s hit Satte Pe Satta. The comic film also stars Hema Malini and Amjad Khan. The film directed by Raj Sippy has been inspired by the classic Hollywood musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
At 4 pm Chupke Chupke another Amitabh Bachchan comedy (from the 70s) will be shown. This also stars Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore and Jaya Bhaduri. Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed the superstar cast in the laugh riot brilliantly written by Gulzar.
At 8pm there will a special one hour show 'Current Bollywood Special:The Best Of 2001'. Dipti Bhatnagar anchors the program. It will look at box office performances as well as new faces that made a mark for themselves in film and how the big stars fared. It will also see what 2002 has in store.
Govinda and Sonali Bendre star in the film Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai at 9 pm. It has been directed by Mahesh Manjrekar and also stars Shakti Kapoor and Reema Lagoo. The films tells the story of a simpleton who discovers a new world, a new family, a new environment and new values unfolding in front of him.
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.
