News Broadcasting
UPN to strut its stuff with 2nd season of dramality show
NEW YORK: Cable network UPN’s reality show America’s Next Top Model is going from strength to strength. The hit dramality series featuring world-renowned supermodel Tyra Banks, returns for a second cycle of 10 episodes.
As was the case with the first cycle women will fiercely compete for their chance at a grand prize package that includes a modeling contract. The show kicks off on 13 January 2004. An official release informs that the first cycle was UPNs highest-rated programme last season among all adult women.
The show was created by Banks, who serves as executive producer along with Ken Mok. It aims at exposing the transformation of everyday young women into potentially fierce top models. They live together in a New York loft and vie for the grand prize. Cameras catch each moment as participants face weekly tests that determine who makes the cut. With mentoring by Banks and exposure to high-profile fashion industry gurus, the finalists compete in a highly accelerated modeling boot camp — a crash course to top model fame.
The 12 participants will struggle to demonstrate both inner and outer beauty. They do their level best to master complicated cat walks, intense physical fitness, fashion photo shoots and perfect publicity skills. The group will also take an overseas trip to a destination that is one of the modeling industry’s most competitive cities in the 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.
