ETC Networks seems to have turned the corner.

After posting losses of Rs 136.12 million for the year ended 31 March 2002, the company has claimed to have notched up a net profit after tax of Rs 62.26 million for Q1 2002-03. The growth, of more than 464 per cent over last year's corresponding figures of Rs 11.03 million, has been achieved due to an improvement in the performance of both ETC Music and ETC Punjabi, the company claims.

Total income of the company for the quarter ended 30 June 2002 stands at Rs 111.77 million as against Rs 771.85 for the same period last year, a growth of 44.8 per cent. Cost control measures and improvisations in the revenue mix, says the company, have helped improve the EBITDA margin from 21.3 per cent to 56 per cent over last year's corresponding figures.

Zee Telefilms (which now holds 51 per cent stake in ETC Networks) group broadcasting CEO Sandeep Goyal has responded to ETC's better performance this quarter with, "The process of integration is continuing in full swing and we have launched Alpha ETC Punjabi earlier this month in UK. This channel will be launched in the US and Canada markets in the months to come." 

ETC claims to lead in the market share and reach of both its channels. Quoting TAM figures, it says that out of the top ten programmes in the music channel segment, etc occupies five slots, while ETC Punjabi continues to lead the Punjabi language segment.

While the company had managed to halve its programming and telecast expenses to Rs 125.871 million in FY 2001-02, its turnover had dived to Rs 313.3 million from Rs 538.2 million the previous year.