News Broadcasting
Vijay TV slots comedies for primetime
MUMBAI: Star’s Tamil entertainment channel Vijay TV has targeted the ‘fun-loving’ segment for its primetime. The channel has announced the launch of a string of comedy weeklies for its 9:00 pm slot.
The comedy weeklies are scheduled to launch from 19 July. The shows that will air from Monday – Thursday will have 45 minutes duration. Vijay has roped in some of the biggest names in the Tamil entertainment industry to anchor the shows.
Tollywood’s versatile comedian Kovai Sarala will make her TV debut as a hostess for the show Sakkalakala Sarala. This is a mono-act comedy to get a bag of laughs, interlaced with some the most popular comedy scenes. The show will air from 22 July 22 every Thursday at 9:00 pm.
Idhu Eppadi Irukku which is a standup comedy that ridicules the histrionics & the so-called filmi “ishtylesis hosted by Bosskey, a popular television comedian amd stand up artist. The show will air every Monday at 9:00 pm from 19 July.
Kadavul Pathee Mirugam Pathee is an innovative film review hosted by Nandoo, a popular television host & theatre personality and will air every Tuesday at 9:00 pm. Lollu Sabha is the re-enactment of some of the popular scenes from films and will air on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm.
Reasoning the decision to go for the comedy genre Vijay TV head of programming Suresh Iyer said, “Comedies appeal to a wide section of the audience. Further, our approach has been very refreshing, instead of treading the beaten track, we have created formats that have a signature in terms of faces, characters and treatment.”
“This is an on-going process and as always we are aiming to raise the bar in terms of innovative programming,” he added.
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.
