GECs
Star India expenses up, profit plunged in FY18
MUMBAI: Star India witnessed a nosedive of 93 per cent in profit at Rs 287 crore during FY18 as compared to Rs 554 crore during FY17. This was apparently due to higher programming costs, which went up from Rs 4,121.6 crore in FY17 to Rs 4,887.3 crore during FY18, according to a report by Economic Times quoting business intelligence platform, Tofler.
As per the financial data accessed by Tofler, the company’s advertising promotional expenses fell 6.8 per cent at Rs 691 crore from Rs 738 crore in the corresponding period. The company saw a rise of 7.8 per cent in employees benefit expenses to Rs 895 crore.
The company’s total expenses grew by 12.2 per cent from Rs 7,992 crore in FY17 to Rs 8,974 crore in FY18. Revenue from operations saw a slight increase of 3.6 per cent to Rs 9,148 crore from Rs 8,827 crore in FY17.
The broadcaster is planning to launch another regional channel to cater to the Bengali audience i.e. Star Sports 1 Bangla on 5 March 2019.
The broadcaster recently released its rate card after amendments on 21 February 2019 and added the channels in several bouquets. The company has now added new sports and English movies channels in existing packages.
The company has also decided to broadcast IPL Season 12 live in eight languages, including Hindi and English, across nearly twenty Star India Network screens. The other languages are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi and Malayalam.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
