News Broadcasting
Broadcast News seeks uplink permission
MUMBAI: Broadcast News, Rajdeep Sardesai’s new venture in collaboration with Television Eighteen Group, has sought permission to uplink a news channel.
A government source confirmed the move, but did not give a time frame for the clearance of the proposal. “A working name (of the proposed channel) is mentioned in the uplink application,” the official admitted, when quizzed on the issue, adding that the permission would be given subject to clearance from other government agencies.
After obtaining a green signal from the I&B ministry, the proposed channel will have to get several other clearances from various agencies, including the department of telecommunications.
The yet-to-be-named channel is targeting a launch later this year. It is also expected that the new channel would be in English, while another news channel is being planned for an early 2006 launch, according to information available with Indiantelevision.com.
The proposed channel’s operations will be carried out from an office-cum-studio complex to be located in the Film City in Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi.
At the moment, Sardesai and associates are scouting professionals for the news channel. Some production people, associated with NDTV 24×7’s Big Fight that used to be hosted by Sardesai, have already quit to join forces at Broadcast News.
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.
