News Broadcasting
CNN once again has its ‘Eye on China’
MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN will once again dedicate its global resources to China for incisive debate, programming and insights next month. The network will have its second week-long Eye On China. A 20 member newsgathering team offers analysis, documenting the latest cultural, economic, and social developments in a country rapidly emerging as a pre-eminent global force.
The week begins with CNN Connects – an hour long debate on The Price of Progress and continues with a blend of live reporting and features from Shanghai in the show CNN Today. Two editions of the talk show Talk Asia also go behind the headlines with China ‘s leading newsmakers.
Following on from debates in Davos, Beirut , Mumbai, Beijing and New York CNN Connects visits Shanghai for an hour-long round table debate evaluating the issues in balancing double-digit economic growth and the environmental challenges this presents.
Jim Clancy anchors The Price of Progress with a panel of environmental experts including Jim Harkness of the World Wide Fund for Nature, academics and specialists debating in front of a live audience including students from China’s prestigious and internationally respected Fudan University.
Throughout the week, Kristie Lu Stout reports live from locations around Shanghai for CNN Today. In addition, Kristie and correspondents Stan Grant, Mike Chinoy and Tara Duffy bring a number of reports charting contemporary China in all its fascinating complexity. Topics cover a wide range of issues including Shanghai ‘s rise as a new business Mecca , preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the nation’s growing environmental challenges, the rise of the blogger and a look at China ‘s new sexual revolution. And, of course, Shanghainese food.
With the Olympics just two years away, China ‘s political, environmental, and economic outlook is being scrutinised as never before. Eye On China reveals the drive behind modern China, assessing how its inhabitants are adapting to a more affluent economy while also examining efforts to balance modernisation with traditional values.
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.
