News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV 18 gears up for D-Day of elections with ‘Judgement Day’
MUMBAI: With the last round of the general elections done and over with, CNBC-TV18 today announced their latest election special programme called Judgement Day. The show will be an all day election special and will carry live updates, expert analysis and opinions on 13 May. Minute-by-minute updates on the channel starting from Business Breakfast at 7 am onwards, peppered with panel discussions, opinions and analysis of the best minds in the industry will be telecast.
Judgement Day is yet another endeavour by CNBC-TV18 to capture the election flavour and follow the trail thus aiming to encapsulate comprehensive and in-depth political analysis while gauging its effect and impact on the country’s economy.
Emerging political trends, party alliances and dalliances and coalitions will be discussed vis-à-vis pros and cons of a power shift on the economy and whether India will continue to shine post the elections. Also there will be political experts commenting on implications of the outcomes of the elections and at the same time, there will be India Inc. giving its verdict on the new government and spelling out the kind of reforms that they expect should be implemented on priority.
The channel has lined up political personalities such as Murli Manohar Joshi, Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi and Amar Singh to decipher and decode elections results as they come in. There will be industry captains from all the core sectors of the economy providing analytical insights into the general elections and the political and economic environment that is likely to emerge in the days to come.
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.
