News Broadcasting
Viewers can dance to the tune of Shubha Mudgal on etc
Predominantly music channel etc is starting the New Year with a special on singer Shubha Mudgal.
Shubha will be appearing as etc's Pop Ki Aandhi for the first fortnight of January 2002. She will talk about her life and experiences that shaped the direction of her music. One of her favourite musicians is the late Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.
The first show will air on Thursday, 3 January at 7:30 pm and the second will air on Wednesday, 9 January at 8 pm.
Her new album "Nacho Sari Sari Raat" has been written and composed by Satish Sharma. The music is light and upbeat celebrating holidays and festivals. She tried to combine the essence of Rajasthani folk music with the spirit of World music. Her previous album "Maan ke Manjire", was about the struggle of a Gujarati lady truck driver called Shamim Pathan.
The singer who was born in Allahabad has an enviable sense of humour. Her parents who were professors in Allahabad University encouraged her to pursue music as it was her passion.
Shubha still likes to call herself a practitioner of Indian classical music. "I get annoyed when people say that I have left classical music and got into pop music. Pop music is popular music that appeals to a lot of people."
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.
