News Broadcasting
Radio City to launch 16 new progs; brings ‘saas-bahu’ saga to radio
MUMBAI: Seems like Radio City 91 FM, the private FM radio station backed by Star, is gearing up to supersede competition.
As a part of its programming initiatives, the radio station will launch 16 new programmes – covering family drama, humour, action, mystery, suspense, horror and infotainment shows, besides regular broadcast of Hindi Bollywood music – starting Monday.
Knowing the pulse of the audience, the radio station has decided to lap up two popular TV soaps Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Neena Gupta’s Saans , which will be broadcast at 11 am and 11.30 am from Monday to Thursday. A company release announces, that all the new programmes will be aired in Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow and Bangalore.
Among the other shows, 91 FM will air a half-hour interactive murder thriller, Apradhi Kaun. The thriller will have main protagonists Rahul and Tina dig up evidences against various crime cases. To make the programme more audience-friendly, the radio station will invite people to call them up and solve the cases for the detectives. Another thriller that promises to be scary fare is Darr.
As a part of its Bollywood specials, 91 FM will also launch a half-hour programme Rahein na Rahein Hum, which will pay a tribute to film stars and movies. In the show, script-writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar will take listener through the making of Bollywood classics and talk about Hindi cinema.
A one-hour daily retro-special, Flashback will revive Bollywood memories, with a heavy dose of trivia, facts, interviews and vox-populi. Return Ticket, a countdown show will be a two-hour programme, showcasing 15 hits of a year gone by.
The radio station’s comedy line up include Jholmaal, Angrezi Talking, Hakka Bakka, Wholesale Gudgudee and Hum Bolega-The Sajid Khan Show.
Jholmaal will be a show about strange inventions, their benefits, drawbacks and conveniences. In Angrezi Talking, Hindi language expert Ved Prakash Murari will give an insight on speaking English. Hum Bolega will have Khan cracking non-stop rib tickling jokes.Finally, Wholesale Gudgudee will be a pot-pourri of humour.
Among 91 FM’s infotainment programming will be women specific programmes like Meri Saheli and Sheela. For the love struck, the radio station will broadcast Love Guru, an interactive show.
The Bangalore based radio station however has some special programmes exclusively for its Bangalore audience. Among the good ones is Brunch with the Boss – a talk show that profiles Bangalore’s leaders in an exclusive, first-hand, insightful and informative manner, the release states.
With such innovative line-ups, Radio City 91 FM certainly seems to be tough competition for other FM stations. However, it has to be seen how the audience take to 91 FM’s new initiatives.
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.
