News Broadcasting
Vijay TV says ‘Laughter Challenge’ a hit
MUMBAI: Vijay TV has termed its Tamil version of the Star One comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Kalakka Povadu Yaaru a ‘clutter breaking show’. Quoting Tam numbers, the channel has claimed that the first three episodes of the show brought good numbers in favour of Vijay TV.
The channel states that Kalakka Povadu Yaaru (KPY) recorded an impressive 6.3 TVR in the launch week, in the Chennai market, all adult. This was followed with a 4.3 TVR rating in the second week. In the all Tamil Nadu all adults market, the show recorded 3.9 and 3.1 TVR respectively in Week 1 and Week 2.
Kalakka Povadu Yaaru, which was launched on 11 November 2005, airs every Friday 10 – 11 pm. While Sadagopan Ramesh and Chinni Jayanth judge the proceedings, Uma Riaz Khan anchors the show.
The channel claims the good show even hit competition. As per the Tam numbers provided by Vijay TV, the channel share in the Chennai All Adult market 21.8 per cent from 5.3 per cent (launch week). In the second week the channel recorded 16.8 per cent market share.
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.
