News Broadcasting
SET, Star score at 25th Promax&BDA awards
MUMBAI: SET’s packaging, channel ID and on air look won kudos at the 25th annual BDA Design Awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 6 June. There was also good news for the Star Group in the in the Non-News, In-House Open category.
SET received a Platinum award for Channel Package (Non-News, Out-of-House ID), while MAX received a honourable mention from BDA in the same category for its channel package promoting cricket coverage.
According to an official release, the judges were impressed with the package’s unique reflection and inclusion of elements from Indian culture. Iconic designs, shapes, textures and colours were used to present a refreshed look for the channel’s traditional Blue Lady logo.
Meanwhile in the Promax awards competition, the Branding/Image section for cable channels and networks saw MAX got an honourable mention for the Rangoli ad spun around the World Cricket.
Rupert Murdoch’s Star Group received an honourable mention for the film Memento. This was in the Broadcast Television Station (In-House) – Movie Promotion – For theatrical movies released to television category. Its Consumer Collateral Campaign for Moulin Rouge also received an honourable mention. Star received a Platinum award for National Geographic’s Egypt : Secret Chambers Revealed
There was also good news for the Star Group in the BDA Design section. It received an honourable mention in the Non-News, In-House Open category for Channel V’s The Juice. In the Invitation or Card category, Star received an honourable mention for its Phoenix AdSales event. It also received a Platinum in the same category for the Star 2003 Christmas Party – Invitation.
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.
