News Broadcasting
Asianet News drives Covid awareness as anchors appear on air with masks on
MUMBAI: In an attempt to raise awareness among the general public regarding the usage of face masks to combat the spread of Covid2019, Asianet News anchors have been using face masks while on air over the past few days. The move by Asianet is now receiving positive responses from all corners, as this is for the first time in Indian television that all the news anchors in a channel are appearing on screen with their masks on.
“The primary aim of this move is to create awareness among the general public. We have been discussing for a long time that all reporters and news anchors should wear masks, as it will give a positive message to the public. Moreover, we are also giving masks to guests who are attending the news shows without a face mask. This message has to go deep down, and that was the intention behind this mask-wearing campaign,” said Asianet News editor-in-chief MG Radhakrishnan.
Following Asianet’s lead, a few other Malayalam news channels are also planning to make their news hosts wear masks when they go live.
“I am very happy about the fact that a message has been conveyed to people regarding the vitality of wearing masks. Moreover, I feel glad that Mathrubhumi News has also followed our path after two days since our news anchors started wearing masks,” added Radhakrishnan.
Talking about the challenges of wearing face masks while news reading, the media veteran said, “We pretty much know that news reading is all about communicating with the general public. Some people told me that communication is not effective when news anchors are wearing masks. However, we have a bigger message to convey, especially at this time of pandemic, and I believe we have succeeded in our attempt.”
Radhakrishnan also underscored the necessity of giving journalists the status of frontline workers who should get priority in the vaccination rollout program.
“The government should do something to classify journalists as frontline workers, as media people have been working from the front since the day of the pandemic outbreak. Media personnel are getting infected by Covid, and it is very much necessary to classify the entire community as frontline workers. The government should consider us as frontline warriors, and should give vaccination,” he concluded.
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.
