News Broadcasting
Star News to launch three shows in December
MUMBAI: Even as Star News plans to launch a full-fledged crime news channel, it seems to be testing the waters with two new crime shows that will go on air soon.
Early December will see the launch of Insaaf Ka Tarazu and Sansani. Star News already airs a successful weekly crime-based show Red Alert, which is produced for the channel by BAG Films.
Additionally Star News, which has introduced some changes in the programming line up recently, is also launching Janbaaz in December. “A weekly show, Janbaaz talks about acts of bravery shown by ordinary people in real life situations. The unsung heroes will be honoured and we will also take up the bravery acts which go unreported,” says Star News brand manager Keertan Adyanthaya.
According to Adyanthaya, “There is no scarcity of crime shows in the country. The TAM statistics suggest that crime-based programmes garner ratings in line with other popular genres like political news and lifestyle shows. Our Red Alert show, in fact, has been topping the rating charts.”
Sansani will air from Monday to Friday, while Insaaf ka Tarazu , a weekly show, will be based on court cases. The novelty factor in the latter is that viewers too would be involved and, as per a proposal, may also get to be
the judge for cases.
Crime-based shows seem to be the flavour of news channels. While NDTV 24X7 has Dial 100 and Crime and the City, Aaj Tak has Jurm. Zee News has Crime File and Crime Reporter while Sahara Samay Rashtriya airs Charge Sheet.
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.
