News Broadcasting
CNN’s Richard Quest takes viewers on ‘Election Express’
MUMBAI: CNN International takes to the road for the 2004 US Presidential Election in a specially customised CNN Election Express bus.
The first stop on the year-long road trip will be the strategically important Iowa caucuses on 19 January. Then on 20 January, CNN anchor Richard Quest hops on board the bus for the build up to the New Hampshire primary on 27 January. After seven days of taking the pulse of the Democratic election campaign and broadcasting from the high-tech mobile production studio, Quest teams up with Jonathan Mann for live reports and a special edition of Insight from New Hampshire on 28 January.
Throughout the year, they will lead the networks signature coverage of global reaction and interest in the battle for the White House. CNN will interview the top candidates, policy makers and citizens alike to gauge the temperature of international issues affected by US politics.
CNN will showcase two, one-hour special programmes, America Votes hosted by Aaron Brown. The first hour airs on 18 January from Des Moines on the eve of the Iowa Caucus. The second hour airs on 25 January from Concord. This is two days before the first-in-the-nation state primary in New Hampshire.
During the week beginning 19 January, the broadcaster will feature a special series of profiles of the Democratic candidates, who they are and what experience they are offering. Then, during the week starting 26 January, CNN will examine the platforms that each candidate is running on and look at the key issues of interest to the international audience including US foreign policy, Iraq and the economy.
CNNs coverage also highlights top US political headliner, Former Defense Secretary William Cohen on a weekly basis. Secretary Cohen joins CNN to share his extensive knowledge of political and world affairs and weigh in on the importance of US foreign policy in the election. Every Wednesday, Cohen will provide additional background context and critical analysis of campaign issues that resonate outside the US.
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.
