News Broadcasting
Star Plus’ valiant ‘Hatim’ wins over audiences on debut
MUMBAI: Welcoming the New Year, Star Plus has good reason to fan out its plumage and show it off in full splendour. The grandeur and special effects of the fast-paced fantasy saga Hatim seem to have struck a happy chord with the audiences – if the ratings notched up by the weekly in its opening episode are anything to go by.
According to All India CS 4+ TAM data, the fantasy adventure series that debuted on Star Plus on Friday, 26 December 2003 at 8 pm has knocked up a TVR of 5.3 claiming the 23rd position in the all India rankings for the week ended 28 December 2003.
The numbers for the Hindi speaking market are even better. Hatim has notched a healthy TVR of 7.9 in the Hindi speaking markets, which as a Star India spokeperson put it, is a more accurate indicator of audience response for a Hindi language series.
And as with most new serials it throws up, the channel made sure there was some innovative promotional efforts behind Hatim. As part of the outdoor campaign is the colossal 30-feet inflate of Hatim, the lead character in the serial, that is being taken across Mumbai and positioned at strategic locations in a bid to woo kids.
The spokesperson said the Hatim inflate is constantly on the move and is being placed where children are likely to converge in good numbers. While the inflate will remain stationed near Haikone at Hiranandani Complex, Powai till today, it is expected to move on tomorrow to R Mall in Mulund, after which it will travel to Phoenix Mills in Lower Parel. It has no fixed route. Other regular outdoor and on-air promos have been going on in full force since the last month.
The series goes the whole hog to weave rich production values like 3D characters, visual effects, psychedelic sets and graphics into the story. What is imparting superior value to the series is the dramatic presence of Hindi film villain Nirmal Pandey who, as per the common perception, ends up with a deeper impact than the hero himself.
The fantasy saga directed by Amrit Sagar and Shakti Sagar is about the adventures of the prince of Yemen, Hatim (played by Raahil Azim) who is on a mission to rescue his beloved princess and the world from the clutches of the evil Dajjal (played by Nirmal Pandey). Hatim’s quest to find answers to the seven questions that can save the world leads him to strange lands and alien creatures.
This is not the first time the Hatim Tai saga is being shown on television. It is a story that has been told several times over through films and TV serials, not to mention numerous comic book series. Nonetheless, kids and other audience groups have taken well to the mythological adventure saga.
Now it remains to be seen whether the series will sustain the response that it has generated on debut or fizzle out like some of the recent high expectation – low results programme launches.
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.
