News Broadcasting
Superna Kalle made SPTI international networks V-P
MUMBAI: Martha Eberts, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) president Michael Grindon’s point person overseeing operations in Asia (India included), now has a senior executive working alongside her in this function.
Providing critical leadership support to Eberts (SPTI senior V-P international networks and development) is Superna Kalle, who has just been made vice-president of international networks.
Together with Eberts, Kalle will establish business priorities for SET and MAX in India, AXN Asia and Animax Asia, and AXN Japan and Animax Japan, and will work on developing new distribution opportunities in the United States, worldscreen.com has reported.
Though indiantelevision.com was unable to get any official clarification from SET India in this regard, Kalle’s appointment appears to have been necessitated by the departure of Michael March, who was based out of Hong Kong.
Both Eberts and March served as SPTI representatives in SET Discovery Pvt Ltd, the distribution joint venture SET India and Discovery Communications India (DCI) formed in mid-2000.
Eberts, along with Grindon and senior executive V-P international networks Andy Kaplan, are the three directors from SPTI on the board of SET India.
Kalle and Eberts will continue to be based out of the Sony Pictures headquarters in Culver City, California.
Kalle joined Sony Pictures Entertainment as manager of corporate development in 1999 and served in different functions. Her last posting was V-P corporate development.
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.
