News Broadcasting
Chandrasekhar acquires Asianet; network to expand into Kannada, Tamil
MUMBAI: Former BPL head honcho Rajiv Chandrasekhar has acquired a 51 per cent stake in Asianet Communications to become the chairman of the leading Malayalam television channel.
Chandrasekhar’s acquisition, made through group company Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (JEV), is part of its expansion plans, which include new satellite channels in Tamil and Kannada, a press release issued in Thiruvananthapuram states.
JEV also has plans to launch FM radio stations (under the Indigo brand name), the release says.
The Kannada channel is expected to be launched early next year, and work is on in full force, the release adds.
Once the statutory approvals are through, the remaining stake will be held between Raji Menon, the original promoter of the network, and Asianet managing director K Madhavan, with Zee Group holding a small 3% holding.
Though Menon will no more have any direct operational role in the network, he will reportedly retain a 26 per cent stake in the network. Madhavan will, however, continue as MD overseeing the current management team.
Asianet Communications operates three channels — Asianet, Asianet News and Asianet Plus for youth.
Chandrasekhar, who unlocked over Rs 12 billion by selling the telecom business he had built up to Hutchison Essar, has more than adequate cash reserves to make current southern media kingpin Kalanidhi Maran sit up and take note.
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.
