News Broadcasting
Zee channel wins case over use of logo
MUMBAI: Ruling in favour of Subhash Chandra-promoted ASC Enterprises, the Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation over use of an “altered” logo for its channel “FX”.
Launched on its first direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting platform Dish TV last year, the DTH bouquet included channels from the Zee stable, Smile TV, Trendz, and FX, among others.
The petition, filed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation was over the use of mark ‘FX’. It claimed that the mark ‘FX’ is being used by it extensively since 1994 and in fact a channel by the name ‘FX’ has been launched in UK & US in 1994.
Zee, in its response agreed to alter the logo to ‘MX’ with the word ‘Z’ inscribed on the top of the logo so as to clearly identify the same with Zee and to remove any confusion in the matter. Fox, however, rejected the offer of a changed logo and pressed for an interim injunction in the matter.
Justice Mukul Mudgal dismissed Fox’s contention and held that the changed logo which has Zee letters in white alongwith word Z in brown and word M and staggered X “are sufficient to distinguish the defendant’s (Zee) mark from that of the plaintiff.”
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.
