News Broadcasting
Close Koouka wins 2013 Mip Junior International Pitch
CANNES: Apart from content, Mip Junior’s biggest draw is an opportunity to present new intellectual properties (IPs) to a larger, more discerning audience.
This year, of the 60 new projects vying for top honours at the international competition, Mip Junior International Pitch – New Projects for Kids TV, five made it to the final round and one of them was declared winner i.e. Koouka by Aldebaran Distribution and Vallaround, Italy.
Presented by distributor Anna d’ Alessandro and producer Federico Vallarino, Koouka is the story of a chameleon, which changes the colour, shape and size of the things it touches. Replete with funny gags and sans any dialogue, the series’ theme is identity and how a natural desire to be accepted by others can stop people from expressing their real selves. Interestingly, there are 26 episodes, each of one minute duration.
The other four who made it to the top five include Being Zeth by Source Animation, India; Goris the Gorilla by Split, Brazil and Chile; Nelly and Nora by Geronimo, Ireland; and The Little Train Choo Choo by JM Animation, Korea.
The jury comprised BBC head of CBeebies production, animation and acquisition Alison Stewart; Canal+ head of children programmes and channels Laurence Blaevoet; The Walt Disney Company (South East Asia), India head of acquisitions, programming, branded media and content Anand Roy; Globosat Programadora head of content and programming Paula Taborda dos Guaranys; and Kenn Viselmann Presents CEO/owner Kenn Viselman.
The jury looked for projects with potential for TV and multi-platform brand extensions, as well as originality and overall appeal in the storytelling technique, and Koouka bagged the award. Winners will get free access to Mip TV 2014 and a chance to interact with buyers during the main networking event on 6 October.
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.
