News Broadcasting
Vh1 set to debut six new musical series next year
MUMBAI: Viacom-owned US channel Vh1 is set to launch
six series in the first quarter of 2007. The new line-up includes, Irv Gotti Project, Man Band, ego trip’s White Rapper Show, Whitestarr Project, Rags To Riches, Bridging The Gap.
The above six series is part of the music-branded block VH1’s Wild Life.
“The breadth of this slate of music-based series illustrates, once again, that VH1 is the only place for adults to go to see the kinds of music and storytelling that speaks only to them,” said MTV Networks music group president entertainment Brian Graden. “This slate features all kinds of characters — Irv Gotti, Cisco Adler, Jeff Timmons, Queen Latifah — we love that they all have a place at Vh1.”
“Just as we gave Hulk and his family a home with Celebreality, we wanted to create a new branded block for all the crazy rockers and rappers that we love so well,” added MTV Networks music group executive vice president and general manager Tom Calderone.
Irv Gotti Project is a show based on Irv Gotti. After being investigated for three years by the federal government on charges of money laundering and acquitted, Gotti is now attempting a comeback with his label The Inc while also juggling his responsibilities as a husband and father.
Man Band is a reality based show where five boy band legends including Bryan Abrams (Color Me Badd), Rich Cronin (LFO), Chris Kirkpatrick (‘N Sync) and Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) will come together to create new music and perform as a new pop group.
Ego trip’s White Rapper Show is a search for the next great white rapper. Whitestarr Project showcases the hourney of the rocker Cisco Adler and his band Whitestarr, while, Rags to Riches provides aspects of a musician or actor through their childhood and the various challenges of growing up, and Bridging the Gap documents two established artists to record a track together. Eve and Queen Latifah are featured in the first episode of the series.
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.
