News Broadcasting
Patriotism is in the air; channels line up special programmes for 15 Aug
MUMBAI: As this year’s independence day falls on a Sunday, we have our television channels making their best efforts to match their programming line up with the mood of the big day. Special features, entertainment shows, documentaries and movies galore to celebrate India’s 57th Independence Day.
Among the news channels, Star News is celebrating the Independence Day with the special Ye Gulistan Hamara, which will be aired every hour from 6.00,am to midnight. This segment will feature Independence Day celebrations from various parts of the country, celebrity greetings and most importantly it will remember our unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives for to win us freedom.
In addition, a half hour special Ye Gulistan Hamara – Mera Gaon Mera Desh’ at 6.30 pm will showcase the glory of India (from Kashmir to Kanyakumari) and Indians (from a common man to celebrities). The channel will air a live telecast of the Prime Minister’s address to the nation from the Red Fort. Star News National Reporter will air a special episode on August 15, Ye Gulistan Hamara-National Reporter. It will air exclusive stories related to Independence Day from 8.00 pm to 8.30 pm. In addition, a half hour special Ye Gulistan Hamara – Mera Gaon Mera Desh will be aired at 6.30pm. The programme will showcase the glory of India (from Kashmir to Kanyakumari) and Indians (from a common man to celebrities).
NDTV’s show Jai Jawan travels to Uri with Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and NDTV anchor Barkha Dutt to celebrate the 57th Independence Day with the Indian Army jawans. The Jai Jawan Independence Day Special will be telecast on NDTV India on 13 August at 11.00 pm and on NDTV 24X7 on 14 August at 10.00 pm. The repeat telecast is scheduled on 15 August at 12.00 noon on NDTV India and at 9.30 pm on NDTV 24X7.
Sahara Samay Rashtriya is dressing up for the big occasion with three special shows: Ek Aur Loktantraat 9.30 pm will feature the tribals from Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The half an hour capsule will focus on the struggle of the tribals to earn for their livelihood. Azaadi Ki Woh Raat 10.00 pm tries to render the “Trauma of Partition”. Defining Moments, a half an hour capsule captures the various glorious moments that form the Indian collective consciousness.
The day gives the movie channels an occasion to celebrate with theme movies. Zee TV has the two- month old “patriotic film” Deewar up its sleeves for 15 August, for its 8.00 pm Zee Premiere slot. SET Max brings the TV premiere of the Anil Kapoor – Rani Mukherjee starrer Calcutta Mail on 14 August as the Maha movie of the week.
Zee Cinema has popular blockbusters like Sholay and Hum Aap ke Hain Koun and the cop movie Kagar.
This Independence Day Star Gold brings a unique contest where the viewers can participate and win free air tickets by watching 4 all time patriotic movies – two JP Dutta movies – Refugee (3:55 am), and Border (8:30 am). Zameen (12:30 pm) and 23rd March 1931 Shaheed (4:30 pm) – will complete the channel’s Independence Day package. The contest Tata Tea Desh Ke Naam Sandesh has an SMS-based contest where the best message will be chosen and the four winners will take home free tickets to fly to any four corners of India they choose to.
Sony Entertainment Television has opted to celebrate the day with its popular series CID. The one-hour special episode at 8.00 pm has the CID team rescuing the whole nation from some disaster on the even of the Independence Day.
The National Geographic Channel celebrates the Independence Day with On Freedom’s Trail – three documentaries that unravel the conflict between man and animal. The documentaries lined up for 15 August are Operation Hot Pursuit (8.00 pm), Shores of Silence: The Whale Sharks (8.30 pm) and Leopards of Bollywood (9.00 pm). Operation Hot Pursuit examines the dwindling number of wild elephants in India. Shores of Silence portray the sad plight of the whale shark on Indian shores. The third show Leopards of Bollywood is a probe of the leopard that has unleashed havoc in suburban Mumbai.
The History Channel has also lined up specials for the day. The channel, devoted to history programming, is celebrating the big day with two compelling personalities who have left an indelible impact on each Indian’s life – Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and the charismatic Mother Teresa feature in the channel’s signature series, Biography at 10.00 pm.
Among music channels, MTV presents the MTV Select: Independence Day Special with singer Shaan. MTV VJ Nikhil catches up with the singer as he speaks on his views on freedom and global peace and also sings live on the sets of the show.
Star’s regional channel Vijay TV has a full platter with movies, songs, reviews, entertainment shows and talk shows. The pick of Vijay’s programmes include a special show featuring actor Vijayakant and a special episode of Star Udan Oru Naal featuring actor Parthiban.
So there goes the ‘order’ of the day. For channels it is again another day at office, making all efforts to get the maximum eyeballs….happy Independence Day!!
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.
