News Broadcasting
Vijay TV youth show ‘Entertainment Quotient’ launches on 18 August
MUMBAI: After the culmination of the talent hunt show Airtel Super Singer, Star India’s Tamil channel Vijay TV has announced the arrival of a new talent hunt property, Orbit EQ (Entertainment Quotient).
Launching on 18 August, the show has been slotted for Friday, Saturday at 8 pm.
According to an official release, EQ is an inter-collegiate state level cultural competition for TV. The main objective of this programme is to bring to centre-stage the budding talent in college students. Essentially EQ is a show where colleges in Tamil Nadu compete against each other in a set of entertainment events comprising of: choreo teams, classical music, classical dance, light music solo, light music group, fusion music, dramatics, mono acting, folk arts and variety entertainment.
The college that emerges victorious in the finals will win loads of prizes and the prestigious Rolling Trophy. But that’s not all; this show could pave the way to exciting career options for all those talented college students who aspire to enter the entertainment industry, as EQ will emerge as the favourite hunting ground for fresh talent by an industry that is continuously on the look out for fresh and emerging talent, the release adds.
The EQ of colleges will be judged by Malgudi Subha and dance master Sridhar. Prominent film personalities like Shobana will also be part of the jury panel. The show will be hosted by Shiva of Radio Mirchi fame. The co-host is Tejashri.
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.
