News Broadcasting
News18 India unveils ‘News18 India Goonj’: One-of-a-kind debate show anchored by Rubika Liyaquat
Mumbai: News18 India has announced the launch of its upcoming debate show, titled ‘News18 India Goonj’. Presented by popular news anchor Rubika Liyaquat, the show is set to debut on February 21 and will air on weekdays from 5 PM to 6 PM.
‘News18 India Goonj’ is a hard-hitting political news debate show which promises to reverberate in the households of millions of news consumers every evening. Launched against the backdrop of the upcoming general elections, the show will cover the biggest political news stories with participation from prominent faces across the political spectrum. The show will inform, dissect, analyse, and debate the issue(s) in a format never seen before on Indian television.
Each episode will commence with a concise overview of the selected news story, presented with impactful visuals and graphics. This will be followed by an exclusive segment revealing research-based, untold facts about the story, enriching viewers’ understanding of the topic. The debate segment will then take centre stage, with short initial comments from the panel with a countdown running on screen for each participant. Adding an interactive element to the show, both TV and digital viewers will get to vote and comment in the audience poll. The results will be announced towards the end of the show, reflecting the public pulse on the debated issue. To ensure balanced and meaningful discussions, one prominent journalist/analyst on the panel will act as the show’s referee, providing insightful information and adding depth to the dialogue. The show will conclude with the poll results and Rubika Liyaqat’s take on the topic, leaving viewers with a consolidated understanding of the discussed topic.
Speaking on the upcoming show, News18 India and Hindi Digital editor Jyoti Kamal said, “In the lead-up to the general elections, this show is our effort to provide viewers with a comprehensive understanding of key election issues and major news stories from diverse perspectives. The show is designed to empower the audience to form well-informed opinions by presenting information that enables them to draw their own conclusions, with accurate and valuable insights. This debate show will be unlike any other, and I am eager to see how the audience embraces it.”
Starting February 21, ‘News18 India Goonj’ will air on weekdays from 5 PM to 6 PM on News18 India. It will be available for streaming on the channel’s YouTube platform.
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.
