News Broadcasting
Paul O’Hanlon is Star senior VP production
MUMBAI: Star India’s programming folks will be dealing with a new man in Star’s One Harbourfront head office in Hong Kong : Paul O’Hanlon. The Rupert Murdoch-owned broadcaster announced earlier this week that O’Hanlon had been appointed as senior vice-president production.
O’Hanlon’s brief involves working with the company’s local production teams in continuing to advance the quality of its programming production across the network
O’Hanlon reports to Star COO Steve Askew, the Star veteran who was the starting point for the network’s tremendous success with Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire).
Askew said, “Paul is a seasoned executive who has an impressive track record in bringing high quality production values to programming with strict fiscal discipline.
“Across our network we now have more than 25,000 hours of original production per annum and growing each year. Paul will deploy his production expertise in our major markets and I am confident that he will make a significant contribution in further strengthening our local production and delivering strong results,” he added.
O’Hanlon has extensive experience in television production, as an executive producer, programmer, director and consultant. His recent production achievements include Australian Idol Concert Tour and Australia Day Live, where he oversaw top Australian pop artists performing live before 30,000 people and a viewing audience of 1.7 million.
O’Hanlon has also been a consultant to Astro in Malaysia, where, among other responsibilities, he identified production and operational changes to improve efficiency and conceptualized new programmes with the production teams.
“Star has set an industry standard in programming production and I look forward to using my skills to help build on an already strong business,” commented O’Hanlon. “I’m also very excited by the prospect of working with the highly talented team at Star.”
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.
