News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak distribution head Amitabh Srivastava withdraws resignation
MUMBAI: News channel leader Aaj Tak, which has witnessed a stream of defections these past months, has managed to get one “prodigal” back into the fold.
Distribution head Amitabh Srivastava, who quit Aroon Purie’s Network at the beginning of the month, is back.
Amitabh Srivastava – return of the ‘prodigal’
When queried about the new development, Aaj Tak CEO G Krishnan said Srivastava had never left in the first place so the question of his return did not arise.
An interesting line to take one must say, especially considering that Srivastava had been on record with indiantelevision.com when he resigned to state, “I have had an enriching experience at TV Today. But now I am looking for a larger role to play in a company and not get restricted to just network development.”
While Srivastava could not be reached on the phone, industry sources say he had an offer letter in hand from Rajat Sharma, who is in the process of trying to launch his own 24-hour Hindi language news and current affairs channel India TV.
Srivastava, who has worked in various media companies, including BBC World’s Indian operation, was part of the core team at TV Today, which helped in launching first Aaj Tak and then its English sibling Headlines Today.
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.
