News Broadcasting
Star Gold’s Sabse Favourite Kaun garners good viewership
MUMBAI: Hindi movie channel Star Gold has received a good response for the telecast of Savlon Sabsey Favourite Kaun International 2006.
India’s first international Bollywood opinion poll was aired on December 30, 2006 on Star Gold at 8 p.m. During the 3-hour telecast of star performances and presentation of awards, the channel garnered a 38 per cent share of eyeballs, taking a leadership position in the Saturday prime time viewing slot the channel has asserted, quoting TAM data. The show, now in its fourth round, claims to have reached out to over 7 Million viewers across Hindi speaking markets.
Speaking on the response to the show, Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair said, “This is an overwhelming response to the Savlon Sabsey Favourite Kaun International. The impact of this event has grown over the years, which is evident by the response that we have received. It is also a proof of the fact that our audiences are responding to the only award show that is based on their votes and the popularity of their Sabsey Favourite Bollywood stars.”
The show was hosted by actress Ayesha Takia along with the comic trio of Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak and Suresh Menon. The show also saw performances by actors like Shreyas Talpade, Koena Mitra, Bipasha Basu , Shiney Ahuja and Akshay Kumar.
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.
