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CNN’s ‘Global Office’ investigates technology in Tinseltown
Airtimes: Indian Standard Times
Sat, September 16 @1300hrs and 1900hrs
Sun, September 17 @ 1700hrs, 2300hrs
Thurs, September 21 @1900hrs, 2300hrs
Kristie Lu Stout and the GLOBAL OFFICE team visit Hollywood and Bollywood in September to investigate how the latest developments in media technology are transforming the way the film industry works.
To gain a first hand view of these changes, Kristie heads to Hollywood to meet leading figures from the world of film. Independent producer Ted Hope (’21 Grams’, ‘The Ice Storm’), Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber, whose production credits include ‘Batman’ and ‘Rain Man’ and MGM CEO Harry Sloan all share their insights on the latest trends affecting the film industry.
GLOBAL OFFICE’s regular tech segment GO:Tech looks at CinemaNow, the world’s number one legal movie download store and a company that is aiming to revolutionize the way movies are distributed. Are digital downloads the way of the future for movie watchers?
New Line Cinema is one of the most progressive film companies, successfully employing novel marketing and distribution ideas with recent projects such as the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. The company has taken one further creative step with ‘Snakes on a Plane’ — asking online audiences to submit story lines. New Line’s CEOs join GLOBAL OFFICE to discuss the importance of innovation in staying ahead in the movie business.
But nowhere else makes more films than Bollywood — a US$700 million business. Over the past two years the Hindi-language film industry has received growing international acclaim. To showcase the change from what was once a business financed in part by underworld figures, GLOBAL OFFICE profiles two students trying to reach for the stars at Bollywood’s brand new movie school, Whistling Woods International. Set in the sprawling grounds of Mumbai’s famous film city, the school teaches the latest Hollywood technology and techniques to its Indian students.
For more CNN International programming information, please visit our website at www.cnnasiapacific.com
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.
