News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 launches ‘Face-Off at 9’ & Viewpoint, more new shows in two weeks
MUMBAI: Continuing with the legacy of setting new benchmarks in television news, CNN-News18 presents an all new prime time which promises to deliver insightful journalism and provide viewers with a platform to voice their concerns and viewpoints. The channel will go live with two shows tonight starting 9pm with Face-Off At 9 and Viewpoint at 10pm. Anchored by award-winning journalists — deputy executive editor Zakka Jacob and executive editor Bhupendra Chaubey, the shows will build further on the channel’s positioning of On Your Side.
Apart from these two shows, CNN-News18 has also lined up several shows that will be launched in a phased manner over the next couple of weeks.
Conceptualised to provide a fresh approach to news, the two shows with enhanced audience engagement, fresh packaging and even more incisive content aim to add multiple dimensions to the primetime news.
Face-Off At 9 will witness a face-off between the biggest newsmakers on the top story of the day to bring out key insights on the same without drowning the same out in unnecessary noise. The show will capture various facets of the story to help viewers to form their own informed opinions. Viewpoint – an interactive and participative show will explore various views on the day’s top news stories that will endeavour to disrupt the standard formats seen on news television.
The show will cover the top five stories of the day and feature discussions with guests on the same. The show will also connect with viewers through social media and on-ground different locations to bring the people’s viewpoint to the debate and will continue to map their sentiments till the end and will bring out the truth, driven by facts and not by any agenda.
CNN-News18 managing editor Radhakrishnan Nair said, “We have always pushed the envelope in bringing our viewers differentiated content and formats. The new shows that we are launching are a reflection of our viewers’ expectations from us to continue to raise the quality of the news content that we offer – especially in terms of the credibility and substance of the debates and in-studio discussions that form the mainstay of prime time news television today.”
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.
