News Broadcasting
The Bollywood roundtable 2013- The Actresses
MUMBAI: CNN-IBN’s Bollywood Roundtable hosted by Rajeev Masand brings to you the best of Bollywood. From directors to actors and music composers to writers, it gives a unique perspective on the challenges faced by the industry members and an insight into the functioning of the industry.
As a part of this special series, this week Rajeev Masand interacts with four leading ladies of 2013, who have made a mark in their unique way. On the show, Deepika Padukonewho went from the easily likeable Naina Talwar in “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” to the wacky daughter in “Chennai Express”, and then topped off the year with a feisty performance in “Ram Leela”, Kangana Ranaut who played a shape-shifting evil mutant in “Krrish 3”, Vidya Balan, who played a loud mouth Punjabi housewife in “Ghanchakkar” and Nimrat Kaurbrought powerful poignancy to the role of a neglected housewife who begins a tentative relationship over handwritten notes in “The Lunchbox”, share their experiences on everything from botched auditions to over-caring co-stars and on rewriting the rules of Bollywood.
Don’t forget to tune in to this special episode of ‘The Bollywood Roundtable’ on Sat, Dec 21st @ 08:00 PM with repeats on Sun, Dec 22th @ 12 Noon & 10.00 PM, only on CNN-IBN.
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.
