News Broadcasting
CNN unveils plans for Olympics coverage
MUMBAI: With the Beijing Olympics kicking off in less than a month’s time, news broadcaster CNN is to feature live coverage from the Chinese capital over more than three and a half weeks on air, online and on mobile. Led by the network’s bureau in Beijing since 1986, correspondents including John Vause, Anjali Rao, Jaime FlorCruz, Larry Smith and Mark McKay bring the world’s biggest sporting event from every angle to more than 220 million households around the world.
Countdown Beijing is CNN’s week of special programming airing in the run-up to the opening ceremony that takes the daily pulse of the city’s excitement and expectation. Every weekday from 4 August John Vause and Anjali Rao anchor parts of live shows from the iconic capital while extensive special reports also feature.
They focus on aspects including the 500,000 people working on security during the games, the huge enthusiasm amongst the Chinese population as the games approach, concerns over pollution for athletes and visitors alike, getting tough on doping athletes or how Beijingers are opening up their homes to tourists for ‘homestays’. Packages are viewable online at www.cnn.com/olympics and come from across China, including Hong Kong on equestrian facilities and anti-doping measures and from Sichuan Province on feelings among the quake survivors as the Olympic Torch passes through.
As part of Countdown Beijing, the Hong-Kong produced show Talk Asia also features in-depth interviews with Olympic giants. Literally, on the one hand with Houston Rockets and China basketball superstar Yao Ming. British athletics great Sebastian Coe and internationally-acclaimed artist (and director of the Olympic fireworks) Cai Guo-Qiang also figure amongst the stellar line-up. CNN hears too from some of the not so famous people involved, from taxi drivers to tourists, souvenir vendors to tourism greeters.
From 8 August onwards when the Games officially open, correspondents Mark Mckay and Larry Smith are to bring the latest developments in the quest for gold in more than 300 events, in dedicated live editions of the network’s signature sport program ‘World Sport’.
Online, www.cnn.com/Olympics boasts a wide range of exclusive videos and written reports featuring stories from across China and beyond. Olympics dispatches from around the world and journals from local citizens and overseas athletes alike bring to life the Olympic dream as thousands prepare for the biggest day of their sporting lives.
The new ‘Fanzone’ section, www.cnn.com/fanzone brings video, quizzes, interactive games, polls, in-depth reports and more, while no matter where you are in the world, through the iReport function sport fans can send in their photos and videos of experiences in and around the XXIX Olympiad. Additionally, www.cnnsi.com delivers more than 150 original new sports stories to users every week and boasts one of the most comprehensive archives of any sport website. Finally, CNNmobile will be launching soon a free new service to catch the latest Olympics action.
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.
