News Broadcasting
Radio City 91 gears for elections
MUMBAI: Ditto for Radio City. Seems like the entertainment industry really can’t resist catching the election fever.
While the news channels are already into the second phase of their election specials, Music Broadcast Private Limited’s (MBPL) radio station FM 91 is all set to unveil it’s election special programming.
Sporting the tagline, “Janta Jagao, Desh Hilao” the private radio channel’s prorogramming innovation is touted as the raison d’etre of Radio City’s efforts to connect with the listeners and provide quality entertainment, says a company release.
In a bid to get its listeners involved with the biggest activity in the nation, the radio station will provide a countdown to the 14th General Elections. Spread over five weeks across the Radio City stations in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Lucknow, the “Janta Jagao, Desh Hilao” election package will feature programmes like: –
Kya Baat Kar Raha Hai – a series of vignettes that highlight some unusual trivia of the electoral process, both past and present.
Janta Chunega apna Mantriji – an on air initiative, which will utilise the interactive element of the radio medium to get listeners to participate in a mega poll to identify and choose the ministers of their choice.
Popat – A show where Radio City tests listeners election quotient. It is a call-in show with a twist.
Public City Election Special – Called as the voice of the common man, through this programme Radio City wil provide a platform for listeners to air their aspirations, needs, and expectations from their chosen representative, post the elections.
Iss Ghante – This show featuring celebrities and politicians will have the special guests encourage listeners to cast their vote.
Rajdhani Express – From Abhineta to Neta. Radio City presents a feature that traces the journey of Indian actors and actresses from films to politics like Shatrughan Sinha and Hema Malini. All this is interspersed with music from their movies.
Thengalalji – Taking a cue from the news channel, Radio City has created a character- Thengalalji. The channel’s conscience, Thengalalji will uses his quirky sense of humour to encourage the Indians to cast their vote. Through this programme, the radio channel aims to clear misconceptions around and lackadaisical approach to voting.
Announcing the launch of “Janta Jagao, Desh Hilao” election initiative Radio City COO Sumantra Dutta said, “Radio as a medium is highly interactive with an awesome userbase and the elections is the single largest and most important event for the country. In keeping with the belief of using the airwaves for a responsible cause, Radio City will be utilizing the opportunity to involve and educate our listeners about the importance of the casting their vote for the elections in a manner that is exciting and innovative. Going a step further, besides creating awareness about importance of voting, Radio City will also run interesting promos to create awareness about the citizen’s responsibility to vote for the right candidate.”
Besides the special programming, the channel will also launch interactive contests such as Election Countdown and Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun. This programme will give listeners a chance to showcase their knowledge and skills.
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.
