News Broadcasting
ET Now and ET Now Swadesh unveil budget day programming
Mumbai: ET Now and ET Now Swadesh have announced exclusive budget-day programming under the theme ‘Mission Growth: Budget 2022.’ The curated lineup of shows will commence from 7 a.m on 1 February.
The channel will leverage technology and AR graphics to present a simplified budget analysis. The live coverage will commence with the finance minister’s speech followed by an in-depth analysis of budget 2022-23 by ET Now and ET Now Swadesh managing editor Nikunj Dalmia.
This will be followed by an exclusive segment with Indian economist, journalist and columnist Swaminathan Aiyar. A panel of experts including HDFC Life MD and CEO, DLF whole-time director and CEO Ashok Tyagi, M&M executive director (auto and farm sectors) Rajesh Jejurikar, Fortis Healthcare MD and CEO Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, SBI former chairman Rajnish Kumar will analyse the budget.
A panel featuring HDFC Asset Management Company ED and CIO Prashant Jain, market veterans Madhusudan Kela and Shankar Sharma, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC MD and CEO A Balasubramanian, ICICI Prudential AMC ED and CIO S Naren will offer insights on post-budget investment strategy and wealth creation.
ET Now consulting editor Mythili Bhusnurmath will present a segment on the story behind the budget numbers and will help viewers understand the budget undertone. An expert team from Deloitte India will share their top takes from the budget.
The two channels are also running a slew of digital and on-air short format video content that will simplify the union budget. A segment called ‘Aasaan Bhaasha Me’ will help viewers get a better sense of this year’s budget and round up all budget-related highlights.
“Jayant Sir Ki Class” a show featuring former minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha will explain concepts, terms, and de-jargonise the budget. The show will air on the channels as well as social media platforms.
The channels have also announced an on-air contest “Budget Master” starting on 1 February where participants can enter the contest by watching the channels and answering questions asked every hour between 9 a.m and 2 p.m. “Five winners will be selected and gratified with an iPhone,” said the channel in a statement.
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.
