News Broadcasting
Sahara launches Balaji soap ‘Kahin To Milenge’
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms intention is to spread its programming across as wide a canvas as possible. Yesterday it made another move in that direction with the launch of a youth oriented serial Kahin To Milenge on Subrata Roy’s Sahara TV.
The soap, which has a completely fresh (some would say raw) lead starcast, is based on the story of four separated and adopted siblings destined to come together, it was announced at a press briefing yesterday.
“Since this is our first venture with Sahara channel we have opted for a serial based on an entirely different genre than the usual family drama,” said Balaji Telefilms chief operating officer, Rajesh Pavithran.
On being asked why they chose Sahara he had this to say: “We are sure that the serial will achieve TRPs similar to what our soaps have for other channels and that will be an added feather to our cap. We want to extend our reach and not limit ourselves to a few select channels.”
“The offbeat storyline of this serial will keep our viewers absorbed as the concept is new and has a very promising fresh starcast,” says Sahara TV, vice-president (publicity and PR), Priya Raj.
As part of it strategy to enhance its image as an entertainment channel and compete with the leading channels, the channel has mega serials starring Bollywood bigwigs like Sridevi and Karisma, slated for a launch sometime in January, a Sahara programming executive revealed.
Kahin to Milenge, is the second serial to premiere on the channel this month and will air Monday to Thursday at 8:00 pm. Bhagyashree’s Kagaz Ki Kashti was launched on 4 November.
For Balaji, this is one of two new soaps it expects to launch before the year is out. Balaji had announced in the beginning of October plans to also launch a big-budget one-hour weekend soap Kaalki on Star Plus.
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.
