News Broadcasting
DD far and away leader on news front: Quraishi
NEW DELHI: Amongst all the news channels, Doordarshan is way ahead of others even if all TV homes and cable and satellite homes are taken into account separately, Doordarshan’s director-general SY Quraishi has said.
Speaking at the first edition of the newly-introduced monthly award scheme (which carries cash awards for the winners apart from a plaque) last evening Quraishi, quoting TAM data, said that amongst all news channels between 8-9 pm, DD National had a viewer share of 92.21 per cent in all TV homes.
The data pertained to the 45th week ended 9 November, 2002.
Amongst C&S homes, with 15 years+ viewers, in the same time band, DD National news bulletins’ share was 57.38 per cent, Quraishi said.
The nearest rival to DD, if one can call it one, was Aaj Tak which had a viewers’ share of 4 per cent in all TV homes and 22.13 per cent in C&S homes.
In all TV homes, CNN’s share was 0.14 per cent, BBC World’s 0.14 per cent, CNBC India’s 0.29 per cent, Star News’ 0.86 per cent and Zee News’ 2.29 percent.
Stressing on the wide reach of DD, running 17-odd channels in various languages including Hindi, Quraishi said the “reach of DD is unmatched and advertisers and media planners should exploit this more effectively.”
To drive home his point, Quraishi said that even during 7-8 am time band, DD National’s share for the 5th week was much more than other news channels.
In all TV homes it was 92.08 per cent, while in C&S homes it was 62.04 pr cent. Again the nearest rival was Aaj Tak with 5.09 per cent and 24.27 per cent viewership share in all TV homes and C&S homes, respectively.
Meanwhile, dwelling on the award scheme, Prasar Bharati officials said that the main purpose of the awards was to encourage in-house productions and promote professionalism.
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.
