News Broadcasting
Watchit Media Inc. launches Convention Television
MUMBAI: Cotelligent, Inc. yesterday announced that its wholly owned subsidiary – Watchit Media, Inc. is launching Watchit Convention News (WCN), a unique television product focused on presenting same-day coverage of conventions and conferences in major US markets.
The company produces WCN to bring dynamic video coverage to private television networks. Watchit Media currently narrowcasts video content to 45 gaming casinos and approximately 50,000 hotel rooms in Nevada, California, New Jersey, Mississippi, Indiana, Oregon and Louisiana.Cotelligent chairman and CEO James Lavelle said, “In January, we had issued a release defining our marketing strategy for Watchit which included the televised coverage of major conventions and conferences initially in Las Vegas, then to other major US markets. Over the past several months, our market research and analysis has confirmed that there is a significant opportunity for WCN to bring entertaining, informative, educational and influential televised programming to this unaddressed market.”
In conjunction with conventions and conference organisers and major convention facilities, WCN will offer hotel guests, attendees, exhibitors and the convention facility a way to expand their reach during the convention. Watchit Media currently presents its video content to 21 hotels in the Las Vegas market and hopes that WCN will be an exciting new way to add value to its hospitality customers and to improve their guest’s experience.
“Our customers are looking for creative ways to improve the guest experience and generate more revenue,” said Lavelle. “We view each hotel as having the capacity to run a Watchit private video network. The private video network of the future will give the hotel the ability and flexibility to include its own advertising and program content with highly profiled custom television programming like WCN.”
In addition to its private network convention coverage, Watchit also announced the introduction of FINDIT, its fully indexed digital convention floor plan and map guide. FINDIT provides convention attendees with a new computerised tool to facilitate the process of viewing exhibitor products and services, identifying those of greatest interest and mapping the clearest path getting the most out of the convention experience. FINDIT can be accessed by the convention attendee via the Internet on their computer or PDA and is also available on DVD.
“FINDIT represents the first demonstration of our ability to take advantage of the convergence of Internet, video media and wireless technology to improve the way things are done. And the applications for this convergence are just beginning to be revealed,” said Lavelle.
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.
