News Broadcasting
Bharat Express appoints Rakesh Gopal as chief revenue officer
Mumbai: Bharat Express has kept the media fraternity abuzz with a slew of senior level appointments. The channel has further consolidated its sales team across India and announced the appointment of Rakesh Gopal as its chief revenue officer along with several senior level appointments across key markets. In his new role at Bharat Express, Rakesh Gopal will be entrusted with the responsibility for implementing revenue strategy and driving the network’s sales revenue.
Rakesh Gopal has a rich experience of over 25 years in media sales and has worked with reputed media brands like iTV Network, HT Media Ltd, India Today Group and BW Businessworld. Prior to joining Bharat Express, Rakesh Gopal was associated with Rajasthan Patrika Group as national corporate head.
Bharat Express has also appointed Sanya Malhotra as north head, Anasuya Chakraborty as west head, Ashish Rai as south head and Syed Tariq as head of government sales who will be reporting to Rakesh Gopal.
Bharat Express CMD & editor-in-chief Upendrra Rai commented on the appointments, “We are delighted to have a phenomenal team of seasoned and passionate media professionals who have been formulating a truly differentiated news content strategy. I believe the relevant news content that we are offering will resonate well among viewers and revenue will follow.”
Bharat Express CEO Varun Kohli said, “We are delighted to have Gopal on board leading a very diverse and passionate sales team at Bharat Express. He has a rich experience in driving ad revenues and implementing successful monetization strategies. I am assured that with Rakesh at the helm, our sales team will remain committed to optimize emerging revenue streams and add value to our advertising partners.”
Speaking on his appointment, Gopal said, “I am excited with all the excitement Bharat Express is garnering in the market. We have a talented team of experienced media sales professionals and I look forward to consolidate revenue and expand the advertising partners for the channel.”
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.
