News Broadcasting
RiTV to dish out film and music fare to mark festival season
MUMBAI: RiTV has decided to get active during the festival season this monsoon.
The network will spruce up its August programming with special shows on both Lashkara and Gurjari, in keeping with the festivals that dot the month.
The network has decided to celebrate the Hindu month of Shravan with special shows on days that coincide with Nag Panchami, Independence Day, Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami. The first show on 8 August on Lashkara, the network’s Punjabi channel, is a special edition of the weekly Moti Punjab De, a chat show that will feature an interview with Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi. Viewers are to get an insight into the life of Daler, his trials and triumphs, his music and his plans for the future on the show.
Both Lashkara and Gurjari, the Gujarati channel, will air a two hour show, Lux Tak Dhina Teen, with dance performances by film actors Raveena Tandon, Chunky Pandey, Kashmira Shah and singer Mika. The show will be telecast on 11 August from 8.30 pm.
The channels will celebrate Independence Day with one hour shows featuring patriotic songs at 11.30 am on both channels. Titled Jashn-e-Azadi on Lashkara and Ay Mere Pyare Watan on Gurjari, the shows will pay tribute to freedom fighters who fought for the country’s independence, says an official release. The same day at 7.55 pm, the channels will telecast Madhuri Magic, the concert featuring actress Madhuri Dixit along with actors Sanjay Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee and others. The show has earlier been telecast on Star Plus recently.
The network will celebrate Rakshan Bandhan on 22 August and Janmastami on 30 August will some more entertainment. Split into two episodes, Lashkara Golden Moments comprises live performances by prominent personalities from the world of music, recorded exclusively for the channel. Among the artistes featured on the show to be telecast in two and half hour capsules at 7.55 pm on both days are Udit Narayan, Abhijeet, Jassi, Harbhajan Maan, Richa Sharma, Anamika, Ashok Masti and Penaaz Masani.
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.
