News Broadcasting
Star Gold begins the New Year with a bang
Mumbai, 6th January, 2006 It couldn’t have been a better way to see off 2005- a year that has seen Star Gold deliver some of the biggest hits of the year, and attract attention for its innovative marketing and programming initiatives. The back-to-back premieres of ‘Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge’ & ‘Kyaa Kool Hain Hum’ enabled Star Gold to grab the lion’s share of the eyeballs on New Year’s Eve – in the process relegating the Zee Cinema premiere of ‘Dil Jo Bhi Kahey” to a no show!
Star Gold’s double whammy has demolished Zee Cinema’s mouch touted slot Shaanivaar Ki Raat- Amitabh Ke Saath with Star Gold grabbing a 5.7 channel share, Max following with 4 and Zee Cinema a distant 3rd with 3.4.
Comments Ajay Vidyasagar, Executive Vice-President, Marketing, Star India Pvt. Ltd, ” All of our premieres this year have been extremely well received by the audiences. The New Year’s Eve success proves once again that Star Gold’s strength at showcasing premieres – with not just the highly awaited ‘Kya Kool Hain Hum’ doing well but also ‘Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge’. It was of course a very conscious decision to premiere two comedy titles back to back, as it’s a genre that can cut across audience segments. At Star Gold, we are confident that this start will be bettered with every coming month in 2006.”
With the line-up of great premieres & titles coming up-Paheli in January, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya in February, Sarkar in March, it looks certain that the Star Gold success story that has started in 2005, will continue in 2006 as well.
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.
