News Broadcasting
Tracy Katsky is HBO US senior VP
MUMBAI: Tracy Katsky has joined HBO US as its senior VP. She will also head its independent productions division.
Katsky will be responsible for the development and production of all programming under the HBO Independent Productions (HIP) banner. Lead by Katsky, HIP’s traditional role of developing and producing comedies for US networks will expand to include the parent HBO.
Katsky added, “Working in this business, you can’t help but hear wonderful things about working at HBO with Carolyn Strauss (HBO Entertainment president) and her team. HBO is known for producing distinctive quality programming.
“It is a very exciting challenge to find a multi-camera show that fits into that brand. It’s also an amazing opportunity to both be able to produce programming for other networks and for HBO,”
Katsky has vast experience in the comedy genre. She formerly oversaw the development of all new comedy series for Fox. She joined the Rupert Murdoch owned network four years ago as the senior VP comedy development. Her projects at Fox included shows like Arrested Development, Bernie Mac, and Andy Richter Controls the Universe.
Prior to Fox she held a similar position at Regency Television, where she worked since 1998. At Regency she helped develop the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, among other programmes. In India the show airs on Star World.
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.
