News Broadcasting
Broadcast News buys studio space
MUMBAI: Broadcast News, the new venture that ex-NDTV stalwarts Rajdeep Sardesai and Sameer Manchanda have floated in collaboration with TV 18 Group, has identified prime space for setting up base for its news channel headquarters.
Broadcast News editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai has confirmed to indiantelevision.com that his company has acquired 50,000 sq feet of space in Express Towers in Film City in Nodia, on the outskirts of Delhi.
A clear indication that Broadcast News will be launching a Hindi news channel at some point to accompany the main English channel was provided by Sardesai’s assertion that the space acquired was more than enough to handle two channels.
The acquisition of new office-cum-studio space, industry sources indicate, testifies that Broadcast News will be having more than one studio for various audiences and guest-based shows for its two channels.
Though Broadcast News will have its headquarters at Nodia, it will have a central studio in Delhi, apart from a central studio in Mumbai.
It is also expected that part of the CNBC TV 18 work could also be done at the Broadcast News studios in Noida. At present, TV18-CNBC combine runs two channels in India, the English language CNBC TV 18 and the Hindi language consumer channel Awaaz. The TV-18 offices and studio are located in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area in central-west Delhi.
After moving into the glass-fronted building at Noida, Broadcast News, will have as neighbours Zee News, the Rajat Sharma promoted India TV, Moving Pictures, BAG Films’ studio-cum-media school and Jagran TV Pvt. Ltd managed Channel 7, amongst some other studios.
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.
