News Broadcasting
CNN lines up specials for World Aids Day
MUMBAI: It is not just Doordarshan and MTV that are looking to hook viewers on the occasion of World Aids Day. News broadcaster CNN has lined up a series of specials. These will air from Sunday to Friday.
Kicking of the action will be live coverage of Nelson Mandela’s Aids benefit concert 46664 on 30 November. The concert will be shown in a special two-hour programme block of Inside Africa and The Music Room. As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com the show will see appearances by major international artists including U2’s Bono, Beyonce and The Corrs.
Then from Monday CNNs Asia correspondents will file a series of special reports examining how countries in the region are coping with the Aids epidemic. These reports will be aired throughout the week on the networks programme News Biz Today. They will document the rapid spread of Aids in Vietnam and Indonesia, and efforts needed to arrest spiraling rates of infection.
The specials will also examine the scenario for orphans who are the innocent victims of Chinas Aids crisis; a first-hand look at how Thailand is tackling the epidemic at the community level, and sharing that experience with other countries. As far as India is concerned the broadcaster will look at the part we are playing in making low-cost drugs more readily available to Aids sufferers. Studio guests with expertise in Aids research and the global campaign against the disease will also appear during the week.
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.
