News Broadcasting
MTV adds five new faces to its VJ lineup
After three months the curtains finally fell on MTV’s third VJ Hunt last night in Mumbai. It was an action packed night at Mikano’s in Worli Naka and for the final five who were crowned VJs – Anusha, Aditya, Sophiya, Vivan, Ramona – it was a time to let it all hang loose and party.
Proceedings to choose five VJ’s were conducted within a squared circle made up like a boxing ring. The idea was to give the VJs who appeared on the stage in pairings of two a chance to verbally spar against each other.
All smiles are MTV India’s new VJs (from left) Aditya, Ramona, Anusha, Sophiya and Vivan.
The 14 finalists were introduced through video clips showing them hosting the various shows on the channel from 24-30 June like Loveline, talking a bit about themselves and snippets of them chilling out on the beach in Goa. The introductions were interspersed with performances by Anamika who was accompanied with a dance troupe, Indipop singer Shaan and Pakistani singer Adnam Sami.
The channel chose the finalists from 12,000 entries, which were received not just from the metro cities but also from small towns. Fans could vote online on indiatimes.com, on air and for the first time they could send SMS messages on 688 indicating their VJ preference. Newly crowned VJs Anusha, Aditya, Sophiya, Vivan and Ramona were duly “christened” by having their faces smeared with cream pie.
The programme will air on the channel before the end of the month.
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.
