News Broadcasting
CNBC India goes soft on features for women viewers
MUMBAI: The content remains serious business as usual, but TV18 is slowly including the woman executive in its purview as well.
From lighter weekend programming to segments within shows that target the working SEC AB+ female, TV 18 could shortly be making a show that caters mainly to the fairer gender. As with other niche channels that have discovered that the female TG is one that cannot be forgotten, CNBC India too, is discovering the viewing pattern and might of women.
TV18 executive director Vandana Malik says with CNBC broadening the scope of content to include serious topics albeit in a lighter vein, it is now focusing on a wider target audience as well. The channel recently devoted a four part series on women’s fitness in the weekend Good Life show. While the Sunday Brunch slot also tries to move away from the decidedly executive male TG the channel targets on weekdays, the popular Trendmill also includes a gourmet section now, points out Malik.
Most of the features on CNBC India currently have a weekday run with a weekend repeat in order to cater to a diverse viewer profile. While TV18 has been the forerunner of anchor based and talk shows like Nikki Tonight on Star Plus and reality shows like Bhanwar on Sahara, Malik, feels that the soap genre is here to stay.
It could be one of the reasons why the content provider is currently not visible on any of the satellite channels it earlier catered to. Malik says that although content on CNBC would never go ‘soft’ as the core competency of the channel would remain hard business news during trading hours, the scope of lighter features that could include the younger generation along with working women would definitely increase.
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.
