News Broadcasting
Tellys ’02 a roaring success in ratings stakes too
MUMBAI: The telecast of the Indian Telly Awards 2002, organised by indiantelevision.com was as big a success as the ground event had been on 1 November.
The three-hour telecast on Star Plus from 8 pm on 9 November notched up an impressive TVR of 3.9 across the country in cable and satellite households (TG 4+), ranking 30th in the top 100 shows, ratings data released by TAM Media show. In all the main metros, the event that showcased the talent of the small screen, interspersed with some vibrant musical entertainment, was able to score even better ratings.
The Mumbai figure stands at 7.51, with the Delhi TVR following closely behind at 6.71. Ahmedabad was a close third at 6.68. The event gathered a collective TVR of 6.41 in the important north-west region. Cities like Kanpur and Ludhiana too recorded TVRs of 6.15 and 6.08 for the event. Kolkata registered a TVR of 5.14 for the event. The key nine markets averaged a TVR of 4.71.
The Telly Awards, in their second edition this year, bestowed honours in 53 different categories including trade, technical and popular categories. Even the southern markets, usually cool to programming north of the Vindhyas have responded favourably, with Bangalore recording a TVR of 1.88 for the event, and Hyderabad 0.66.
Indian Telly Awards 2002 – Looking back with pride
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.
