News Broadcasting
Sony to debut Balaji’s next ‘Kkoi Dil Mein Hai’
MUMBAI: Although Jassi… is the show that got Sony Entertainment back into the Top 50 ratings, weekends are when SET really gives leader Star Plus a run for its money.
And the channel looks to be hoping to buttress its weekend franchise by extending the Kya Haadsaa Kya Haqeeqat magic with yet another show from the Balaji stable in Kkoi Dil Mein Hai.
Starting 21 December 2003, Kkoi Dil Mein Hai will air every Sunday at 9:00 pm.
Balaji Telefilms had announced the show, then titledKulvadhu Is Ghar Ki, in the month of September. However, Sony has remained tightlipped about the show, even though the teasers are currently on air.
When contacted by indiantelevision.com Balaji Telefilm’s COO Rajesh Pavithran offered, “It is a story of two friends Kajal and Krutika, one poor and one rich. While Samay falls in love with Kajal, he ends up marrying rich Krutika. Essentially the show is based on the effects different socio-economic background have on the relationship. The conflict arises after the marriage when the equations change and best friends start competing with each other.”
A one hour weekly, Kkoi Dil Mein Hai stars debutant Poorva Gokhle as Kaajal and Kyunki… alumini Sahil and Indu AKA Sandeep D and Karishma Tanna as Samay and Krutika. Taking a cue from success of Star Plus’ late night fare Kahiin to Hoga,, Kkoi… has fresh looking oldies Kiran Joneja as Samay’s mom and Chitra Joshi as his aunt.
Shot in Mumbai, Balaji has already shot around six episodes. According to Pavithran, Sony wanted to extend the spill over from Haadsaa… and position itself as a strong weekend channel. The production house has signed a year’s contract for the show. Directed by Ravindra Gautam, the former Kasautii Zindagii Kay director, the show was conceived by soap queen bee Ekta Kapoor herself.
According to Pavithran, “Casting was done primarily keeping the fact that we need fresh faces. A lot of faces are becoming quite repetitive in soaps, Karishma as the main protagonist, was relatively free considering that she hardly has anything to do in Kyunkii. But she will continue in Kyunkii, ditto for Sandeep. Plus Karishma looks quite trendy hence an obvious choice.”
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.
