News Broadcasting
Awaaz gets into over-drive mode, lines up five shows
MUMBAI: Consumer business news channel Awaaz, CNBC TV18’s new sibling, is going into over-drive with some new programming initiatives. The channel has lined up a total of five shows that will be unleashed in the course of this month.
Keeping in line with the basic positioning of the channel, the shows to be launched will help viewers make better decisions on investing, saving and spending wisely. Apart from that, with shows touching on genres like health and fitness and the entertainment industry; the newly launched channel also hopes to widen its viewership base, apart from being more interactive.
To begin with, the channel has lined up Glamour Bazaar (3 April at 12.30 pm) a weekly show that offers updates on the entertainment business. Segments in the show include Filmi Karobar (the business of film making in India), Filmi Chaat (Bollywood snippets) and Ek Mulaqat (a one – to – one with a Bollywood bigwig).
The second week will see the launch of two shows, Parda Faash and Tax Guru. A weekly show, Parda Faash (Saturdays 10.30 am) will track economic/corporate crime and violation of consumer rights. The show will have hard-hitting stories that will be followed by a discussion aimed at helping consumers / investors to fight back. The other show Tax Guru will have tax expert Subhas Lakhotia answering call-in queries by viewers.
Towards the end of the month, the channel will have Jiyo Zindagi, a weekly health and lifestyle show with inputs from leading experts in the medical profession and Chalti Ka Nam Gadi, a weekly guide to the world of automobiles, from buying guides to availability of after sales services available in the two, three and four wheeler industry.
Explaining the thought behind the shows, Awaaz marketing head Ajay Chacko says, “We hope to reach out to newer audiences with these shows. The aim is also to capture the women TG as well as the younger non-metro audiences with shows like Jiyo Zindagi. Then, shows like Glamour Bazaar give an inside view of the working of the entertainment industry which is definitely a value add for consumers.”
As of now, the three-month old channel broadly focuses on programs related to personal finance and markets, guidance on careers, education and consumer based programming which will help them make more intelligent choices.
Shedding further light on the channel’s programming, Awaaz editor Sanjay Pugalia says, “The aim is to address the needs of the consumer. Apart from this, the overall treatment of the shows is very interactive.”
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.
