News Broadcasting
Star readying another ‘K’ signature afternoon soap
Trust Star to do it. It will soon start another daily soap beginning with ‘K’ a letter which has not only turned round the fortunes of Star Network in India, but also one its biggest suppliers of content to the network, Balaji Telefilms.
However, this time round the `K’ weapon will be unleashed not by Balaji Telefilms, but by the Delhi-based BAG Films which has been mandated to make the daily afternoon soap called Kumkum for Star Plus.
Some of the past and present `K’ programmes on Star Plus include Kaun Banega Crorepati, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Khi, Kahin Kissi Roz and Kamzor Kadi Kaun.
Kumkum, a heroine-oriented fare directed by Sanjay Upadhaya, will be on air, in all probability, from 29 July, a Monday, and will run through till Friday every week. According to those associated with the serial, the daily soap is another step by BAG Films towards making inroads into the entertainment genre of programming.
The agreement for the daily afternoon soap is initially for a year.
BAG Films is a Delhi-based production house, which at present has on-air programmes on channels like Doordarshan and Star Plus. For Star, it makes the Sunday morning Antakshari show hosted by Sachin.
Promoted by Anuradha Prasad, wife of Rajya Sabha (Upper House) member of Parliament Rajiv Shukla, BAG Films in the past has also produced current affairs programmes for Zee TV like Ru-Ba-Ru (Face to Face) which used to be then hosted by journalist Shukla.
It is also rumoured that along with Rajat Sharma’s production house, BAG Films may get a slice of current affairs programming pie which will be put on air on Star News post March 2003. On 31 March, 2003, the five-year Star-NDTV agreement for content on Star News made by NDTV will come to an end and Star has already announced that it will take control of the news channel, including editorial.
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.
