News Broadcasting
Star completes clean sweep of Top 50
MUMBAI: It had to happen some day! Star Plus has completed a clean sweep of the Top 50 shows for the first time.
Star’s supreme dominance has been highlighted in the ratings for the week 26 January – 1 February for C&S 4+, eight cities + UP, one million plus towns.
Consider the sheer domination of the top programmes: Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi features eight times; Shaka Laka Boom Boom features five times; Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagi Kay, Shagun, Bhabhi, Kaahin Kissi Roz feature four times; Kumkum features three times, Shararat, Krishna Arjun, Kumkum, Khichdi, Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr, Kashmeer, Ssh …Koi Hai, Karishma Ka Karishma, Son Pari, Kuch Kar Dikhana Hai, Sanjivani, Khullja Sim Sim, Kehta Hai Dil, Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand feature once.
Mindshare Fulcrum MD Vikram Sakhuja says: “Star TV spent the year 2002 in expanding its audience base and increasing it to a certain pre-determined critical mass. They persisted with the saas-bahu themes in order to attain their objectives. The next step involved the process of guiding this mass and exposing them to different programming genres or options. In the beginning of the year, Star launched an intelligent mix (cache) of new programmes – game shows, kids’ shows, variety shows, amongst others. The impressive results simply demonstrate that their strategy is succeeding.”
A Salomon Smith Barney report released in January 2003 says that Star Plus’ dominance is commendable, considering the fact that the channel broadcasts several one-hour shows from Monday to Friday. The channel could have fewer entries from its Monday – Friday prime-time slot in the TAM Top 100 programme list; whereas Zee and Sony have more opportunities because they have 30-minute shows pitted against Star.
Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand, Kehta Hai Dil, Khullja Sim Sim, Sanjivani, Ssh…Koi Hai, Kashmeer are the shows which have a duration of one hour plus.
However, Star could gain phenomenally if it beefs up its marketing and communication efforts in the southern markets as this could complement the dominance in the western belt, say industry sources.
Till someone comes up with an innovative concept or theme, it looks as if Star is going to be quite lonely at the top.
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.
