News Broadcasting
CNN-IBN gears for election result coverage
MUMBAI: The polling for the nine phase elections is over, and now as the country awaits the results of the 2014 general elections, CNN-IBN and IBN7 are gearing for the most comprehensive coverage of the election results. The network has created 100 hours of programming for this election season.
While CNN-IBN is telecasting A Billion Votes, IBN7 has launched a post poll survey show called Mera Vote Meri Sarkar. The two will be a five day long election coverage show, which will culminate in the counting day special programming on 16 May.
Starting 12 May, 5 pm onwards, the two channels will bring the most definitive coverage on the final phase of elections complete with latest exclusives, updates and insightful analyses and the most precise projections as they track the climax of the world’s largest electoral exercise.
According to the network, the center piece of this programming line up will be a nationwide post-poll study conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). Covering 22 states and over 18,050 respondents the survey will include vote share percentages and seat projections and will flesh out in detail the likely post counting day scenarios. The finale of the channel’s elections coverage will happen on 16 May, 6 am onwards.
This special coverage will include up to the minute trends, seat tally, extensive live coverage from across the country and the most incisive analysis of emerging scenarios.
IBN network’s coverage will be driven by the channel’s formidable team of journalists led by CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai along with country’s most notable political experts namely Swapan Dasgupta, Ramachandra Guha, Surjit Bhalla, Manini Chatterjee, Sandeep Shastri, Kumar Ketkar, Dipankar Gupta, T R Ramachandran, Aakar Patel, Sharat Pradhan, Shaibal Gupta, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Sanjaya Baru, Rajeeva Karandikar, Sanjay Kumar, Hilal Ahmed, Ajay Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Purushottam Agrawal.
“With the results of the biggest elections of our times around the corner, the entire nation is keeping a close eye on the outcome. IBN Network has been the front runner in election programming. Through our 100 hours of extensive coverage, we look forward to continue our leadership and deliver on the expectations of our viewers of being the most accurate & most trusted network for elections,” said Sardesai.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
