News Broadcasting
CNBC-AWAAZ readies big-budget playbook for Union Budget 2026
MUMBAI: When the finance minister opens the red briefcase on February 1, CNBC-AWAAZ plans to open the numbers for everyone else. As India counts down to the Union Budget 2026–27, the business news channel has unveiled a high-decibel coverage plan built around a punchy theme, Aatma Nirbhar Bharat ka Dum.
The Budget, India’s most closely watched financial event, shapes everything from household savings and taxation to jobs, prices and long-term security. CNBC-AWAAZ says its focus this year will be on cutting through jargon and spreadsheets to explain what the Budget really means on the ground for investors, entrepreneurs and middle-class families alike.
A dedicated editorial team will decode announcements in real time, backed by a week of pre- and post-Budget programming. The channel’s coverage will track how policy choices strengthen self-reliance across sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure, MSMEs, startups, agriculture, defence, energy, technology and financial inclusion.
True to its investor-first DNA, the programming will zoom in on issues that matter to everyday decision-makers from tax relief and savings to jobs, consumption and market sentiment. Expect sharp debates on Make in India, domestic manufacturing, exports, ease of doing business and wealth creation, alongside clear-eyed analysis of market reactions.
Budget Day will bring a heavy-hitting expert line-up to the screen. Market veterans, fund managers and tax specialists will weigh in through the day, while the channel’s popular Tech Panchayat will run from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, tracking live market moves and trading strategies as the numbers drop.
Adding a digital twist, CNBC-AWAAZ is also rolling out a “Budget Booster” format, blending television with social media updates to keep viewers plugged in across screens.
The idea, the channel says, is simple: make sense of the Budget without dumbing it down. Or as the theme suggests, show the muscle behind India’s self-reliance story, one line item at a time.
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.
