News Broadcasting
Sab pitches ‘Twinkle…’ in the tough 9 pm slot
headlines/y2k6/may/may196.htmMUMBAI: Reinforcing its commitment to reach the Hindi heartland, the ‘lighthearted’ general entertainment channel Sab is now launching a new show – Twinkle Beauty Parlour – on 15 May in the 9 pm slot.
The show will be aired from Monday to Thursday and will replace Maahi Ve – the channel’s first daily after its revamp – that was launched on 5 December last year.
Sab senior vice president and business head Vikas Bhal said, “Sab has been providing its viewers a kaleidoscope of entertainment ranging from light-hearted comedies to romantic melodrama through its innovative programming. Continuing this trend we are launching Twinkle Beauty Parlour, a show dedicated to the middle class women of India, who constitute the biggest part of our population.”
The show has been pitted in the 9 pm slot and will have to compete for eyeballs from Zee TV’s Kasamh Se (which has been doing well), Star Plus’ Miilee, Sony’s new show Aisa Des Hai Mera and Star One’s India Calling.
But Sab programming head Priya Mishra is confident of her product and is not deterred by competition. “As opposed to other shows in its slot, Twinkle Beauty Parlour would be a refreshing breather for the audience as the treatment of the show is light while the drama is gripping and thought provoking,” she said.
Phase 1 of the campaign for ‘Twinkle Beauty Parlour’
Twinkle Beauty Parlour is produced by Shrishti Arya Behl’s Rose Audio Visuals. “The show has multiple protagonists. We have deliberately moved away from the central character norm. Dealing with various lives – four families and five key characters played by the five female protagonists, the show works at different levels,” said Behl.
Phase 1 of the campaign for ‘Twinkle Beauty Parlour’
The three phase campaign around the show, which was rolled out some time back is currently in its third phase. While the first phase informed people of the location of the beauty parlour, the second phase had women sporting mustache.. waiting for the parlour to open its doors. The third phase of the campaign will be rolled out next week with the tagline – ‘Sab par khul gaya hai,’ which will inform people that the show is now on-air on Sab.
Sab is also readying another show for the primetime slot – Left Right Left produced by Tony and Deeya Singh, which is scheduled to launch in June. However, the channel has not yet decided whether it will be a 9.30 pm show or if Twinkle Beauty Parlour will be shifted to the 9.30 pm slot to give way to the new show at 9 pm. If Left Right Left is placed in the 9.30 pm slot, it will be competing with Saat Phere… Saloni Ka Safar on Zee TV, Kavyanjali on Star Plus and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham on Sony.
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.
