News Broadcasting
Vissa TV banks on grounds events, movie acquisition to raise channel share
MUMBAI: Regional channel Vissa TV has finally zeroed on an action plan to better its performance in the Telugu television arena.
The Telugu channel from Raj Television Network Limited will be introducing more shows based on ground events and giving a complete make over to its film programming to shed the ‘underdog image’ it had been carrying ever since its launch in June 2003.
According to the latest channel share figures released by TAM (Andhra Pradesh 1 mn + towns including Hyderabad, 23 May to 19 June) Vissa TV holds a modest 2 per cent share.
Talking to Indiantelevision.com, Vissa TV vice president R Radhakrishnan explained the reasons why the channel had been faring poorly: “Basically we are new entrants in the Andhra Pradesh television arena and we have been facing fierce competition. Taking into account the Telugu’s craze for films, we have this handicap called ‘fresh movies’. The older channels hold the chunk of popular movies”
Radhakrishnan revealed that Vissa had adopted an aggressive movie acquisition strategy and would be looking to acquire the maximum number of new films available this year.
Talking about the extra measures taken by Vissa to tap the maximum audience share from the film-crazy viewer segment, Radhakrishnan said the channel had started telecasting Telugu feature films on weekday afternoons and on Friday nights.
Radhakrishnan said the channel would be launching as many as five new shows in the next three months, which include two ground event based shows.
“We are planning a fashion show during the first week of August, followed by a model hunt in September 2004 across seven to eight major towns in Andhra Pradesh.”
The channel has also bagged exclusive telecast rights of the South Indian Filmfare awards for an estimated Rs 5 million. The show will air on 11 July. The live event was held on 12 June.
Vissa TV will launch a daily show for women in August targeting the afternoon band. Two interactive programmes are also being lined up for an immediate launch.
Commenting on Vissa TV’s progress with the launch of its news channel Vissa News, Radhakrishnan said they were in the process of setting up infrastructure and the launch would take place during early 2005.
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.
