News Broadcasting
India’s first global news network WION spreads its wings
From small steps within South Asia, World Is One News (WION), the first global English news network from India, is now taking giant strides across the world. It has been 1 year since its first telecast and already, Indian viewers are rivetted by the country’s first truly international news channel. Particularly appealing is the fact that for the first time, Indian viewers can enjoy in-depth coverage of stories from far-flung corners of the world through a perspective and prism of their choice.
WION has now entered the Middle East. The channel has been launched on Etisalat – one of the biggest networks in the Middle East – in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Viewers in those countries can also watch WION on Du & Ooredoo. WION’s Middle East debut comes on the heels of its launch in seven African countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Botswana & Rwanda. WION is now one of India’s fastest-growing news networks. Come the months February to April, WION will be spreading its outreach to other South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Celebrating 25 years of ZEE in Dubai, Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra said, “After a successful start in India, WION is gearing up to bring world-class journalism to the people of UAE & Qatar who have long been waiting for a global network from India.”
Australians, too are enjoying shows by WION. The channel has been launched on Yupp TV there while talks are underway to launch it on other platforms in Australia & New Zealand too. WION is keeping its promise of providing in-depth and non-biased coverage of global stories, a space so far dominated by the western media.
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.
