News Broadcasting
[V]’s ‘Disco Star’ set to go head to head with Set’s ‘Indian Idols’
MUMBAI: Fresh off the success of Popstars and Popstars 2 Channel [V] in association with film production company Mukta Arts have announced a reality show [V] Disco Star. The show will search for a glamour girl and goes on air on Channel [V] sometime in October.
That is also when Sony is launching its biggest show of the year Indian Idols.
Unlike Idols however whose aim will be to discover a new singing talent, [V]’s search for a Glamour Girl over the age of 18 will end with the winner doing a Mukta Arts film. The search kicks off on air in a couple of week’s time. Through email, hopefuls not just in India but also in the UK and the UAE can send in their applications. They will need to stay tuned to the channel for more details.
On-ground activity in the form of registration and auditions start in about six weeks time. Speaking on the occasion Channel [V] head Amar Deb said that the ground activity in India for registration would not be city-wise but would take another route. Details of this will be coming forth in ten days. Deb also said that the two parties were in the process of roping in a title sponsor.
“The girls selected for auditions will go through a grooming process. They will also be involved in shooting a song for the film. We are looking for one girl but if we find two or three of a very high caliber then they too could star in forthcoming Mukta Arts releases. The venture gives girls from Chandigarh to London a chance to realise their dreams.” Right now Mukta Arts has six to seven films on the floor.
While Deb claimed that the channel was able to have a large number of shows in the top 20, he admitted that due to conditional access the reach was hampered in Chennai and South Delhi. The channel is also struggling a bit in Kolkatta.
The panel judging the audition in Mumbai will include Mukta Arts chairman and MD Subhash Ghai. Speaking on the occasion Ghai said, ” Today cinema is more glamorous and not so much about family or crime. The Glamour Girl will be a larger than life figure whom the viewer will aspire to be like and also look at. I have noticed that the young generation are more versatile with different roles and we are creating this platform for them.”
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.
