News Broadcasting
Age limit upped, new category added in the CNN YJA third edition
NEW DELHI: Enthused by the overwhelming response, CNN today announced the third edition of the CNN Young Journalist Award (CNN YJA) in India, having added a new category of camera person and increasing the upper age limit for participation to 28 years.
Speaking on this year’s awards that come with added attraction, Mallika Kapur, the London-based reporter and producer for CNN International, said, “With every year we are adding new dimension to the YJA and this year’s additions are based on feedback from participant and editors.”
Dwelling on the new category — an award for the best camera person of year — Kapur said camera person are “very critical” to every report.”Keeping these things in mind,we decided to recognise a camera person’s contribution too,” she added.
The winner in this category will do a stint a at CNN’s Hong Kong bureau.
According to Kapur, who hails from Kolkata and did a stint with The Statesman there, the changing media scene in India looks “very exciting,” especially the regional media.
“The broadcast scenario despite being comparatively young in India is doing exceedingly well with various news channels doing some excellent work,” she gushed.
A first-of-its-kind award in the sub-continent to recognise quality journalism among young media professionals, CNN YJA 2005 is open to all journalists between the ages of 22 and 28 years from electronic, online and print media in India and Pakistan. The last date for submission of entries is October 15, 2005.
The best and valid entry in the television and print/online category will each win the title ‘CNN Young Journalist of the Year’ and will further undergo an intense schedule at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, designed to add value to their existing journalistic experience.
The winners will be given a thorough insight into the functioning of the world’s leading news network through a one-week stint at CNN Centre giving the winners a detailed overview of how the network operates. They will also meet with CNN International’s editors and anchors, and experience first-hand the workings of CNN’s editorial and programming teams.
The second best and valid entry in television and print/online category will observe and assist at the CNN news bureau in New Delhi for winners from India or CNN news bureau in Islamabad for winners from Pakistan for up to seven days. The winner of the Camera person of the Year Category will also undergo a week’s training at CNN’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong. The winner will follow an intensive training schedule and work closely with CNN’s editorial team stationed in Hong Kong.
Entrants to the television category must submit a feature style television news package that has been produced and aired between 1 January and 30 September, 2005. Submission must relate to a general news story relevant to any part of India or Pakistan.
For the print/ online category entries must include three copies of the original article or photocopy of the news article written solely by the Entrant and published in an Indian publication or on an Indian website during the period 1 January and 30 September 2005.
Entrants to the Camera person of the Year category must submit a feature-style television news package that has been produced and aired between 1 January and 30 September, 2005. Submission must relate to a general news story relevant to any part of India or Pakistan and also be accompanied by a note of a maximum of 250 words, stating what circumstances the piece was shot under.
Entry forms can be obtained either by writing to Turner International India office in Delhi or by logging on to the CNN website, http://www.cnnasiapacific.com/yja. All entry forms must be accompanied by proof of age and experience.
The CNN Young Journalist Award 2004 was awarded to Rahul Agarwal, Zee News in the TV category and Vikas Dhoot, Businessworld in the print/online category. Aman Khanna previously with Tehelka – The People’s Newspaper in the print/online category and Wajid Ali Syed previously with Geo Television, Pakistan in the Television category were felicitated with the runners up award. The awards were presented by CNN International managing editor Paul Cutler at a special award ceremony held in Mumbai in December 2004.
Like the preceding editions, CNN YJA 2005 would be adjudged by a panel comprising distinguished television and print journalists. The 2004 jury comprised Doordarshan DDG K. Kunhikrishnan, School of Convergence director Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) New Delhi director Prof B P Sanjay, columnist Sucheta Dalal, columnist Dr Muhammad Saffiq Jullandhry, Pakistan Advertising Institute former director Nisar Ahmad Zuberi and CNN’s New Delhi bureau chief and senior international correspondent Satinder Bindra.
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.
