News Broadcasting
Alpha Marathi Opinion poll shows Congress NCP in lead
MUMBAI: Alpha Marathi is all geared to unviel the result of the third and the final phase of the opinion poll conducted by them.
The poll indicates that though Congress NCP front has maintained its edge over the Sena BJP alliance their share of seats has come down from the second phase of poll and independents and others may decide who would come to power in Maharashtra.
The third phase of the opinion poll conducted by Ahmedabad based Taleem organization between 4 and 6 October for Alpha Marathi, was be telecast by the channel on a special programme Janadesh from 10 pm to 11 pm on Saturday, 9 October 2004.
According to the poll, 23 per cent voters are still undecided over whom to vote. A vast majority of 72 per cent respondents said that they will not vote for a rebel candidate and only 12 per cent said that they would vote for a rebel candidate while 15 per cent said that there was no rebel candidate in their constituency, says a company release.
One striking outcome of the poll is that the voters have rejected use of religion in politics. Only 8 per cent respondents approved use of religion in politics. Eighty five per cent voters have supported reservations for women in jobs and interestingly 80 per cent men have supported the reservations for women.
In Opinion Poll III, apart from 36 selected constituencies surveyed in Opinion Poll-II, an additional assembly constituency in Mumbai, namely Worli has been included, in order to provide better representation of Mumbai. In this way, a total of 3686 voters were interviewed in the third opinion poll, adds the release.
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.
