News Broadcasting
Guest column: Perception sales key to news channels’ revenue
A question often crosses most aware minds……where exactly do the viewer’s consume news? A large part of news viewership comes from out-of-home venues-offices, stock broking firms, airports, railway stations, retail shops-which are not measured by audience-measurement BARC that we refer to for viewership.
Therefore, if you ask me, it is perception all the way.
Having said that, India is a news-hungry nation, which is why it is also the most cluttered in terms of number of active players but the beauty is that there is place for everyone and even more. News is a continuously evolving and growing sector that strives for innovation all the time.
The impact caused by news channels is immense as news amplifies the happenings and events. While all other genres may be facing a threat or slightly negative implications with digital gaining strength, news channels have benefitted from it. I believe all media websites clubbed with all social media apps/sites, etc. help to lead traffic to News channels. While all news breaks on digital platforms, immediately, to get more information, one turns to news channels and the channels that provide more credible and correct information win in the pecking order.
Demand and supply is the simplest, age-old model that holds true even today and will remain. This is the fundamental law on which the industry works and news channels, too, are not an exception to this.
Last but not the least, for a news channel, it’s the brand ambassadors that are the face of channels/networks and they are the ones who help sustain their perception. It is this sales force from the head to the executive that makes numbers happen.
 The author is the CEO of Forbes India and president – revenue, Network18. The views expressed here are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them. |
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.
