News Broadcasting
CNN boosts Africa coverage
MUMBAI: To bolster network coverage of Africa, CNN recently made two key appointments. Lagos, Nigeria, bureau chief Jeff Koinange assumes the newly-created role of Africa correspondent, and Alphonso Van Marsh, currently based in Istanbul, will transfer to Johannesburg as a video correspondent.
Koinange will lead CNN’s coverage of Africa, working bureaus in Johannesburg and Lagos as well as with the network’s partners across the continent. Van Marsh will develop and deliver compelling reports inside South Africa.
CNN Intl senior VP news gathering Tony Maddox said, “These two appointments underscore CNN’s on-going commitment to fully cover and report from the African continent. Jeff brings unrivaled knowledge to this role, who together with Alphonso, brings a heightened commitment, experience and enthusiasm to the job of reporting Africa to CNN’s global audiences.”
Koinange joined CNN in 2001 to report on news events throughout Africa and the Middle East. During his tenure, he has covered post-war insurgency, reconstruction and historic elections in Iraq and strife in Darfur, Sudan, which brought visits from then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2004.
Van Marsh joined CNN in 1997 as a freelance correspondent and producer and currently serves as a video correspondent, one of the network’s reporters who shoot, write and edit their own material using the network’s unique laptop-based newsgathering system. In December 2003, Van Marsh shot exclusive footage of US troops celebrating upon their return from the capture of Saddam Hussein.
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.
