News Broadcasting
Regis Philbin to co-host ‘The Apprentice’ finale
MUMBAI: The current season of NBC’s reality show The Apprentice comes to a finish tomorrow 16 December in the US. The broadcaster has roped in television personality Regis Philbin who along with Donald Trump will co-host the three hour finale. In India the show airs on Star World.
Either Jennifer Massey or Kelly Perdew will be appointed as Trump’s next Apprentice during the broadcast. Trump said, “Regis Philbin has been one of my closest friends for more than 20 years. He is a legend in the business and I personally invited him to join me in hosting the three hour finale. It will be great to incorporate his expertise at hosting live events and I know we are also going to have fun together.”
In addition crooner Tony Bennett, NBA Commissioner David Stern, Bob Lanier and 16 of the NBA’s rising stars will feature in the finale. Bennett throws a kink into Kelly’s organisation of The Genworth Trump Polo Cup with a last minute benefit performance while Jennifer struggles to wrangle 16 NBA stars for The Genworth Charity Basketball Classic and is missing a host for her event. “Fired” Apprenti John, Raj and Elizabeth worked for Kelly and Pamela, Chris and Stacy R. were hired by Jennifer.
Philbin will also fill in as the host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2005, which will air on ABC on 31 December. As had been reported a few days ago by Indiantelevision.com Clark is being treated in a hospital after suffering a stroke.
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.
