News Broadcasting
Mini Mathur to host Pogo Amazing Kids Awards ’06
MUMBAI: The third edition of the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006 is all set to rock with television anchor/VJ Mini Mathur on board for 19 new episodes.
Turner International India Vice President Advertising Sales and Networks India and South Asia Monica Tata said, “We are extremely happy to introduce Mini as the new face for Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006. Mini is a popular television anchor and we are confident that she will do complete justice to the new, serialised format of Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006. A mom herself, Mini would be the best person to interact with the participants and their parents and also share a comfort level with them as they face the camera.”
Mini Mathur with Rob (left), Chinu (right) and Niall on Pogo Amazing Kids Awards ’06
Enthused about her venture in the kids’ genre for the first time, Mini Mathur says, “I am really excited to be part of Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006. Though I have anchored a lot of shows on television, this one demands dealing with young hearts and their emotions. Pogo is doing an incredible job by inculcating confidence in these kids and providing them a platform to showcase their talent to the country.”
The Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006 research team and jury is in the process of short listing five nominees from each of the eight categories – arts, sports, music, singing, dance, genius, leadership and entertainment. These 40 kids will be profiled as part of the Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006 series starting 4 November 2006. This serialised format has been produced by Miditech.
The first eight episodes will feature non-category specific profiling of the 40 nominees, followed by a complete recap in the ninth episode. The next eight episodes will have three finalists in each category vying for the top prize by impressing the jury, viewers and thereby getting their votes. At this stage, the jury panel will be there to guide the finalists, spur them on and give them words of advice, while viewers’ votes will play a crucial role in selecting the final eight winners. These will be followed by a grand finale that will reveal the final eight winners of Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006, informs an official release.
The winners of the POGO Kids Awards will be felicitated at a gala, in-studio event in Mumbai that will be interspersed with performances. The winners will be awarded with a child benefit policy worth Rs 5 lakhs and to further highlight their talent, the winning kids will get the chance to be on Pogo throughout 2007.
Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2006 is divided into two sections, Pogo Voice Awards and Pogo Kids Awards. The Pogo Kids Awards segment will recognise exceptional talent and brilliance and reward them for their talents in multiple areas and the Pogo Voice Awards will yet again empower children from all over India to vote for their favourite celebrity icons amongst nominees in various award categories.
Instituted by Pogo in December 2004, the Awards recognise child wonders and reward them for their achievements in multiple areas of excellence such as arts, leadership and sports.
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.
