News Broadcasting
Nickelodeon promises bigger, louder awards show this month
Children’s channel Nickelodeon may be struggling to find its niche audience in India, but the situation in America is quite different.
The Kids Choice Awards (KCA) show 2002 scheduled to take place on 20 April in Los Angeles will see media personalities and products targeted at the youth compete for honours. The show covers film, television, books, music and sports.
The show is clearly meant to be an antidote to serious counterparts such as The Academy Awards which aired last week on Star Movies.
In a bid to extend the brand identity, the channel has announced the KCA 2002 Sweepstakes. Viewers have to tune in to Slimetime Live on 8 April from 4 – 6 pm (ET) and dial the 1-800 number that flashes on the screen. Five grand prize winners get a limousine trip to the event. As consolation, 500 other winners get T-shirts connected to the event.
KCA’s fifteen categories include Favourite Female /Male Butt Kicker, Favourite Male Athlete and Favourite Book. Stars competing in the different categories include Sarah Michelle Gellar Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Oscar winner Angelina Jolie Girl Interrupted, Jackie Chan nominated for Rush Hour 2, Jennifer Aniston of Friends fame and golf legend Tiger Woods.
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.
