News Broadcasting
ATN opts for change in nomenclature
MUMBAI: ATN International, which launched the Ahimsaa Channel on 2 October 2003, has gone in for a name change and will now be known as Ahimsaa Global Media Limited.
According to a notice sent to the National Stock Exchange, the company whose board met yesterday, has decided to appoint Price Water House Coopers or any other management consultant for suggestions for restructuring of the company.
The company recently struck a deal with Fifth Avenue Media Services for distribution of Ahimsaa in India as well as overseas. It has also reached an agreement with the Government of India, Department of Space for telecasting the channel through the Noida teleport using INSAT – 3A. The 24-hour predominantly Hindi global satellite television channel was originally supposed to have launched on 30 January 2003, then on 15 August 2003 and finally took off on 2 October.
Promoted by Kolkata-based Santosh Kumar Jain, who besides being a partner in Aastha Television and CMM Music has also launched ATN World and ATN Bangla in West Bengal, Ahimsaa is backed by The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, headquartered in Mount Abu, India. The channel telecast talks on Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism and other religions. For women, there would be special shows like the gourmet special Aah Kya Swad , Ghar Beethe on self-employment opportunities and Haq on legal issues.
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.
