News Broadcasting
‘Simply Shekhar’ centrepiece of 3 new Zee shows set for debut
NEW DELHI:Close on the heels of Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India announcing four new shows, it is the turn of Zee TV to follow suit with three new programmes set to launch over the next few weeks.
Leading the pack for Zee will be The Simply Shekhar Show
(see earlier report Shekhar Suman turns producer with two shows on Zee ).
Zee is promising the show will take Shekhar’s original on SET – Movers & Shakers – a step further. A fun-filled variety entertainment show touching upon contemporary issues ranging from politics, sports, films, television, science and technology, research and weird inventions, music, business, etc within the country and all over the world in a light hearted manner is what The Simply Shekhar Show aims to be.
The other two shows Zee is launching are a soap – Love Marriage – and a gameshow of sorts – Karvaan Kismat Ka.
In The Simply Shekhar Show, apart from the anchor, a live band will share the stage along with three models who will add that touch of glamour.
Segment One will comprise Shekhar’s unique stand-up comedy routines as well as zany video gags and on-set gags featuring the best of comedians (Shekhar may or may not be involved in them).
The stand up jokes will be take offs and spoofs on actual and current news items across the world. Spoofs on ads, misprints in newspapers, topical issues like an invention in US or elsewhere, views expressed by eminent people etc. will be part of this section. All the jokes will make a direct reference to the news items they are based on.
The video gags, onset gags and street gags may or may not be topical in nature though. They may be based on general topics like men, women, relationships, astrology, Feng Shui, travel, fashion, etc. along with the topical stuff.
Segment Two will have celebrity interviews. In this segment, Shekhar will invite a special guest who has been in the news in the recent past. This segment will be a special addition depending on the situation (i.e. if there is any newsmaker worthy of being invited onto the set). Only people who have substantial achievements to their credit will be invited.
Segment Three involves live interaction with viewers, which will be done by Shekhar making random calls to them and conversing with them. It could also be a prank call to a celebrity. Call in facility will be provided on the sets so that viewers can call in on the show.
Special occasions will be created for Shekhar’s interaction with the audience like an auction for the audition and various other gags with audience.
The show – produced by Shekhar for Zee TV – launches 30 July and will air on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:30 pm.
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.
