News Broadcasting
Zee launches reality show ‘Raaah’ tomorrow
It’s no Prisoner Of War but India’s first homegrown reality show in the action genre is finally launching on the Zee Network.
Last year Zee TV had announced with much fanfare that it was launching a reality show Prisoners Of War loosely modelled on the successful UK show Jailbreak. Those plans however were shelved but the channel is all set to unleash Romance, Adventure Aap Aur Hum (Raaah). Launching tomorrow at noon it will air on Sundays.
Miditech (promoted by Nikhil and Niret Alva) has produced the show which has been billed as India’s first adventure-reality game show. Game shows are not a new phenomenon to Indian television but what makes this one different from the likes of Star’s Kaun Banega Crorepati and Kamzor Kadii Kaun is that the contest incorporates adventure.
Raaah tests the physical, mental and emotional endurance of its participants. The participants consist of five married couples who have to confront an extreme environment. They compete against each other. Each couple operates as a team in the show which is shot over four hectic days.
Miditech CEO Nikhil Alva made these remarks: ” Its going to be the first reality show on Indian television. We have produced a totally new format and not an Indian version of any Western reality shows. With such a show there is always a great degree of unpredictability, since there is no telling how real people will react in a given situation. We will transmit real excitement, adventure and romance onto the screen.”
The teams have to play different types of sports which will test their dexterity and stamina. They include yak riding & shepherding, mountain biking, four-wheel drive rallies, rappelling, trekking, white-water rafting and camping in the wilderness. Every day performances are evaluated and one couple is eliminated. Two couples battle it out on the fourth and final day for the grand prize.
Apartments, the latest cars, luxury cruises, adventure gear are some of the goodies on offer. Vrajesh Hirjee will anchor Raaah.
A release states that the first few episodes of Raaah have already been shot on location in the gruelling locales of the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Elaborating further on the new initiative Niret Alva says: “We conducted an extensive location search and decided upon the Spiti Valley as the perfect backdrop for the first show. Raaah in Hindi stands for The Way and we firmly believe that Raaah is the way forward for Indian Television.”
Miditech had previously done Hospital but Raaah has proved to be far more logistically challenging. The production called for a crew as large as 70 people including seven camera units, as well as adventure and safety instructors, given the complex technical requirements. The challenge is that the areas are remote and are difficult to enter into. There are no communication systems in place. Both in front of the camera and behind, teamwork is often the deciding factor.
Miditech was founded in 1993. Its other reality based shows and programmes also include Kahani Jurm Ki on Star Plus and “Kuch Yaadein Kuch Baatein which will shortly be telecast on Star Gold. Other shows the company has made include Living On The Edge the first and longest running environment series. Then there was The Great Escape a travel show; and Hospital.
Miditech has also produced film-based programmes, talk and game shows by the Entertainment division. The films division has also come out with path breaking natural history, exploration shows, historical and social documentaries. The Infotainment division covers lifestyle, travel and information technology shows. The fiction division makes real life drama and soap operas. The current affairs division news handles analysis, political talk shows, reality and environment programmes.
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.
