News Broadcasting
Simone Singh to present award at iEmmies
MUMBAI: Seems like the Indian tricolour is the hottest colour scheme going around. With Indian music, Bollywood, art and even aloo gobi getting global recognition, it was just a matter of time before Indian television made an impact. And how. For the first time in its 56 year history, an Indian television star – Simone Singh – will be a presenter at the Oscars of television, the iEmmies.
At the risk of sounding pompous, we might add that Simone’s selection is the result of a single handed initiative taken by Indiantelevision.com and The Indian Telly Awards founder & CEO Anil Wanvari.
Wanvari was elected as an associate on the board of the International Emmies on 30 June 2003 for a two year period. He will be accompanying Singh to the International Emmys Gala, which are scheduled to be held at New York’s Hilton Hotel on 24 November.
Singh, known and loved by Indian audiences as a television and film actress of repute, has been selected by the iEmmies for giving away an award on the night when the biggest names from television globally will be assembled to receive iEmmies for a number of categories — Arts Programming, Children & Young People, Documentary, News Coverage, Drama Series, Popular Arts (Scripted & Non-Scripted), and Television Movie/Mini-series.
Says Indiantelevision.com and The Indian Telly Awards promoter, Wanvari, “I believe that Indian television has a lot of talent which has not been projected internationally. Hence one of the first initiatives I undertook was to suggest to the board that an Indian TV star give away an award. This suggestion was embraced by the board. And the net result is that an Indian TV actor will be sharing the stage with an actress as renowned as Sarah Jessica Parker (of Sex and The City) at the awards ceremony. I am glad that we at indiantelevision.com continue to undertake pioneering initiatives for the Indian television industry as a whole.”
While indiantelevision.com is the reference point globally for information on the Indian television industry, The Indian Telly Awards are the first, biggest and most credible awards for Indian television. The Indian Telly Awards recognize excellence both on and off the television screen in India. They have become the de facto industry standard for felicitating talent in more than 64 categories right from best actor to best TV daily to TV cameraman to TV scriptwriter to best distribution executive to TV CEO.
Just as Bollywood with Aishwarya Rai winging her way to the Cannes Film Festival has been making its mark in the international arena, Simone’s selection also marks the beginnings of more of Indian television talent being noticed internationally.
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was founded in 1969 to promote excellence in international television and is the organization that awards International Emmys to the best television programs produced outside the US It is part of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; however, it operates under its own Board of Directors with a global focus. Every November, The International Academy produces the iEmmies Festival and International Emmy Awards Gala in New York City.
The academy is the largest organization of global broadcasters, with representatives from over 50 countries on its Board. Sixty per cent of the 100-member Board of Directors come from countries based outside of the US, and represent the world’s largest production, distribution and broadcast companies.
The apex body is decided to fostering relationships between international broadcasters as well as encouraging excellence in worldwide television programming by recognizing it through its prestigious International Emmy Award and nurturing it through its outreach and educational programs such as its Peter Ustinov Television Script Writing Award. Prospective Associates are nominated by current members, and are elected by a majority vote of the full Board of Directors for a renewable two-year term.
The Indian Telly Awards is a brand owned by Anil Wanvari and it is the first awards instituted to recognise excellence both on and off the television screen in India. They have become the de facto industry standard for felicitating talent in more than 50 categories right from best actor to best TV daily to TV cameraman to TV scriptwriter to best distribution executive to TV CEO.
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.
