News Broadcasting
Miditech loses Avinash IPS to UTV
Avinash IPS will have new parents from this week.
Star Plus’ supercop, just six weeks old, has been snatched from Miditech and handed over to UTV for rearing. Industry sources say Star was none too happy with the way the plainclothes policeman, who hasn’t yet set the ratings charts on fire, was being brought up by Miditech. UTV, on the other hand, has ambitious plans for the adopted baby.
UTV associate creative director Neeraj Naik feels viewers have thus far not been able to interpret Avinash as a supercop, which he was meant to be. The first task of the UTV team then has been to define Avinash’s role as a supercop, making him faster on his feet, quicker on the uptake, and consequently more pro-active. “He is being moulded such that he will be able to outwit the antagonist ( who, incidentally, will also be smarter and cannier) on a psychological as well as a physical level,” says Naik.
Naik says the re-worked Avinash is indigenously built, with plenty of involvement from the channel as well. The difficulties of working on a project earlier handled by another production house have been diminished as Avinash IPS is shot more on a location specific rather than a set specific basis. While most of the cast remain the same (“We will have to work around Sachin’s ( Sachin Khurana, who plays Avinash) potential” maintains Naik) a new character in the form of Inspector Deshmukh has been added to the script, which is being handled by Abhigyan. Deshmukh, says Naik, has been styled as a colleague in the police department who lives life by the book, and is a mite envious of Avinash too. The first episode to be handled by UTV is directed by Zaighum Ali. Previously, too, Avinash has had different directors for different episodes.
Avinash IPS had made its debut in the 11 pm slot on 31 May, replacing the year old Kahaani Jurm Ki, also a Miditech production. Avinash was conceived as a fearless IPS officer who takes on the world of crime with his sharp mind and matching bravery. The sixth episode, telecast last Friday, was the last directed by Miditech. UTV, that has taken over, also has the Damocles sword of ratings hanging over it if it hopes to rear Avinash to manhood.
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.
