News Broadcasting
Brand Arnab unhurt by controversies
MUMBAI: Arnab Goswami has been hogging the limelight from the beginning of this week, first with his impromptu resignation from the Editors Guild of India during a live television debate show, and now for the multiple FIRs filed against him for making derogatory comment against a political personality during a live debate. The Supreme Court has given him three weeks’ protection from arrest.
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Goswami, a founding member and editor-in-chief of the Republic Media Network, has hogged the limelight even as the country is racked by the COVID-19 crisis. But will these recent controversies affect the brand image of Goswami and his channel? Certainly not! On the other, they will only help Republic TV gain some traction, point out media agencies and brand experts.
“The controversy will have little effect on viewership or sponsorship; in fact, it might attract more viewers,” says FCB Ulka executive creative director Anindya Banerjee. “As a brand, Republic TV has managed to stay in the news in more ways than one. The people, who watch it, know it, and love it.”
Banerjee further says: “The brands which are associated with the channel are aware of it and love the fact that consumers engage with the news channel.”
Echoing the same view, Havas Media, India and Southeast Asia chief executive officer Anita Nayyar says: “Logically, any positive controversy lends positivity and a negative one lends negativity. And, the controversy garners a lot of eyeballs and in any case brands ride on it, if deemed fit.”
The apex court has ruled in favour of Goswami, granting protection from arrest in the case of FIRs filed against him in various states. A source close to the Republic TV says: “This case will probably set a benchmark and precedent of any such future cases. Here, multiple FIRs were filed. But tools like this cannot be used in any negative manner. It’s a big win for the media company.”
Republic TV has been the most-watched news channel in India for the straight fifteenth week so far this year, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of India. And, while dwindling ad revenues have affected the majority of television channels due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Republic is unaffected by any such revenue losses, according to a top official of the network.
Says DigitalKites senior vice-president Amit Lall: “Brands relate to Arnab Goswami because of his success story as an individual. The moment it comes to brands, it always picks and chooses people who are safe and try to be neutral. They don’t like people, who are volatile or impromptu. Brands will continue to put money into it (Republic TV), purely because it has viewership. And, don’t think controversies like such would impact the advertising sales of the network,” says Lall.
Comniscient Group chief executive officer N Chandramouli says: “Arnab Goswami understands its audience well and have managed to create an audience clutter which nobody has. People believe in his perspective and take him seriously, which helps him get viewership and TRPs for his news channels. He is driven by his audience; we think he has an agenda but his audience has an agenda. Republic TV is completely audience-driven and believes he delivers for his consumers.”
Arnab Goswami rose to become one of the prominent journalists during his 10-year stint at Times Network where he was an editor-in-chief and primetime anchor of Times Now, which went on to become one of the most-watched news channels then under his editorship. The channel had eventually started getting traction due to his face value. In 2016, Goswami started his own news network, Republic Media, and holds a controlling stake in the company with over 80 per cent of shares.
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.
