News Broadcasting
‘South Park’ set to take off as a weekday strip in Fall 2005
MUMBAI: Come Fall 2005, and Tribune Entertainment’s South Park, the much appreciated US sitcom will premiere in broadcast syndication as a weekday strip.
The company has announced that the currently off-cable sitcom strip has been cleared for syndication in 85 per cent of the US including 48 of the top 50 markets. The sitcom from Comedy Central South Park will be carried on stations from the Viacom, Tribune, Weigel, Belo, Scripps-Howard, Cox, Clear Channel, Raycom, Sinclair and Meredith broadcast groups. Stations clearing the program in the top five markets include WPIX/New York, KCAL/Los Angeles, WCIU/Chicago, WPSG/Philadelphia and KBHK/San Francisco. The show is being offered on a cash plus 90-second barter basis.
Tribune Entertainment EVP Domestic & Cable Sales Steve Mulderrig states, “We’re thrilled with the enthusiastic response from stations toward ‘South Park.’ The local DMA Market numbers are so competitive that stations immediately see the value in adding this smart and edgy show to their sitcom lineups.”
Tribune Entertainment is distributing South Park under an exclusive deal with Debmar Studios and Mercury Entertainment. The Mort Marcus, president of Debmar Studios, acquired the domestic syndication rights from Comedy Central and together with Ira Bernstein of Mercury Entertainment, cleared over 50 per cent of the country. Tribune Entertainment will also oversee barter ad sales under the agreement.
South Park created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, has aired on Comedy Central for seven seasons. Tribune Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based entertainment division of Tribune Company Entertainment has entered into a variety of distribution, production, and ad sales relationships with such major partners as DreamWorks SKG, FremantleMedia North America, Hearst Entertainment, New Line Television, and Universal Domestic Television.
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.
