News Broadcasting
Elections fetch DD News Rs 20 m in revenues
MUMBAI: DD News has garnered advertising revenues of Rs 20 million from the coming Lok Sabha elections.
The news channel from pubcaster Doordarshan’s fold, which has clocked a turnover of Rs 100 million in the fiscal just ended, has launched a slew of fresh election programming. Apart from the regular news bulletins, show like Janadesh 2004, Kaante Ki Takkar, Note Garam, Chunavi Jor Garam have been added to the regular programming.
Chunavi Paheli, a contest based show and Khatti Meethi Baatein, a programme on election sidelights as well as a psephological show have been planned for the channel. According to Prasar Bharati marketing head Vijayalaxmi Chhabra, DD has managed to sell the spots for four to five times the normal rates for the period between 1 April and 13 May.
While the channel has attempted to restrict the FCT of normal packages to avoid ad clutter during election time, it may also cut down on the double ticker scroll that is currently on DD News to give it a sleeker look. Among the prominent corporates who have bought airtime on DD News are Asian Paints, Indian Oil and Dabur, apart from Electrolux, Mahindra and Oriental Insurance. Airtel, MDH and Jeevanjyot are the other names who are part of the DD News election package sponsors. These sponsors have come on board particularly for the elections and are not part of the yearly packages. DD effected a 20 to 25 per cent rate hike from 1 April 2004, and advertisers have responded positively to the increased rates, says Chhabra.
DD News, which has climbed in viewership stakes considerably after its November 2003 launch, now faces its stiffest challenge with rival satellite news channels poised for a battle for the eyeballs.
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.
