News Broadcasting
Raj TV to sing new tune from October, to launch Telugu channel
MUMBAI:Close on the heels of Star’s Vijay TV, which claims to have inched past number two Tamil channel KTV, another regional player, Raj TV, is also sprucing up.
The channel will sport a new logo from 14 October and a new signature tune, along with a set of new programming initiatives. The Raj Television Network is also planning to invest an estimated Rs 1000 million in launching a Telugu channel in March 2003, for which talks are on with venture capitalists. Cinevistaas, AVM and Telephoto Entertainment are among those that are slated to produce new shows for the revamped Raj TV, say media reports.
The channel, that already has over 2000 films in its library is planning to air recent, popular films, a set of which it has acquired recently. While Sun TV has already risen on American screens from this month and Vijay caters to a Tamil block on a UK Sinhalese channel, Raj is also looking to get a toehold in the overseas markets in the UK and US.
The new Telugu channel will however be a news based channel aimed at the rural population as well as women in Andhra Pradesh. Sun’s Gemini and Eenadu’s ETV are the current top contenders in the satellite channel stakes in the state. The new channel will have a new logo, a new name and a fresh infusion of manpower, say reports.
Raj TV, which has teleport facilities in Chennai, will uplink the new channel from the same facility.
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.
