News Broadcasting
Global Broadcast News announces Rs 1 billion IPO
MUMBAI: Global Broadcast News Ltd (GBN), which manages English news channel CNN-IBN and Hindi channel IBN7, has announced plans to raise Rs 1.05 billion through the capital market. The GBN, a TV18 Group company has filed its s draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities & Exchange Board of India, according to an official statement.
The company proposes to raise up to Rs 1.05 billion through the issue of equity shares of Rs 10 each for cash at a premium to be decided through the 100 per cent book-build process. The equity shares are proposed to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
The net issue to public comprises the issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 1 billion, and the issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 50 million is reserved for the employees. Of the net offer to public, 60 per cent is reserved for allotment to qualified institutional buyers on a proportionate basis, 5 per cent of which will be available for allotment to mutual funds. Further, up to 10 per cent of the net offer to public is reserved for allotment to non-institutional investors and the balance of up to 30 per cent for allotment to retail investors.
GBN joint managing director Sameer Manchanda says, “The IPO is an important milestone in realizing our larger corporate vision. It would help strengthen GBN’s position in the television news business and tap future growth opportunities”
The book running lead managers to the issue are ICICI Securities Ltd and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited. JM Morgan Stanley Limited and IL&FS Investsmart Limited are the co- book running lead managers.
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.
