News Broadcasting
MPCL gears for “voice of people” infotainment channel
NEW DELHI: From documentaries, television shows, cross-over films, promotional advertising films and 3 D long-format television series, Moving Pictures Company Limited (MPCL) is moving on to an interactive infotainment city-centric channel. A channel, to based on the lines of voice of people, will have various forms of information and entertainment, says MPCL managing director Ramesh Sharma.
MPCL is strategically planning to launch the channel during the latter half of the year, banking on the upswing in the consumer spending during the festive season. The channel will be initially launched in free-to-air mode.
For MPCL, such initiative is a natural progression especially with various broadcasting technologies emerging as an attractive proposition in the near future. Moving Pictures is an integrated multimedia company. The idea is to synergise the strength of the company, said Sharma.
The channel will have news, information and entertainment, which be useful for people. It will be similar to FM concept, except for the fact that it will be on television. Whether its shopping, highlighting needs or problem of people in residential areas or political news, the idea is to position it as a channel, which is the voice of the people and speaks for the people, he said.
Citing examples on how the channel will associate itself with viewers, Sharma said, There will be political news. The idea is to make the channel as an interface between policy makers and people. There will be lots of phone-ins and other forms of interaction. Then there would be dos and donts from traffic or probably a daily segment on real estate. There will be various forms of entertainment whether its through entertainment news, game shows, countdown/music shows etc.
MPCL is not only looking at local advertisers but also national spenders, who can strategise their communication programmes in a focused manner. Obviously, local advertisers would be part of the spenders list. Why a local cinema hall would spend on a national channel? So this platform can be used by local companies or retailers. But even the national advertisers would find this useful such as ones from FMCG sector, said Sharma.
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.
