News Broadcasting
Chernin signs new five-year pact with News Corp
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate News Corp has announced that its president and COO Peter Chernin has signed a new, five-year employment pact. Chernin has been News Corps president and COO since 1996.
New Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “Peter has been a close and trusted colleague for more than a decade. I am delighted that News Corporation will continue to have the benefit of his dynamic qualities for many years to come.
“He has done a superb job growing and operating our core entertainment businesses in an increasingly challenging global marketplace. Peter is respected throughout our company and the industry for his intelligence, drive and leadership.”
Chernin added, “Across the board, this organisation has the most talented, creative and aggressive management team in the business and I consider myself privileged to collaborate with them day in and day out.
“I am also enormously fortunate to have worked side by side with Rupert as News Corporation has become a global media company that today is without peer.”
Chernin joined News Corporation in 1989. He joined the company as president of Entertainment of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a position he held for three years. Under his leadership the network launched such hits as The Simpsons, In Living Colour and Beverly Hills 90210. From 1992 to 1996. He also served as Fox Filmed Entertainment CEO. He oversaw blockbusters like Speed, Independence Day and Titanic.
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.
