News Broadcasting
ETC posts profit of Rs 62.26 million in Q1 2002
ETC Networks seems to have turned the corner.
After posting losses of Rs 136.12 million for the year ended 31 March 2002, the company has claimed to have notched up a net profit after tax of Rs 62.26 million for Q1 2002-03. The growth, of more than 464 per cent over last year’s corresponding figures of Rs 11.03 million, has been achieved due to an improvement in the performance of both ETC Music and ETC Punjabi, the company claims.
Total income of the company for the quarter ended 30 June 2002 stands at Rs 111.77 million as against Rs 771.85 for the same period last year, a growth of 44.8 per cent. Cost control measures and improvisations in the revenue mix, says the company, have helped improve the EBITDA margin from 21.3 per cent to 56 per cent over last year’s corresponding figures.
Zee Telefilms (which now holds 51 per cent stake in ETC Networks) group broadcasting CEO Sandeep Goyal has responded to ETC’s better performance this quarter with, “The process of integration is continuing in full swing and we have launched Alpha ETC Punjabi earlier this month in UK. This channel will be launched in the US and Canada markets in the months to come.”
ETC claims to lead in the market share and reach of both its channels. Quoting TAM figures, it says that out of the top ten programmes in the music channel segment, etc occupies five slots, while ETC Punjabi continues to lead the Punjabi language segment.
While the company had managed to halve its programming and telecast expenses to Rs 125.871 million in FY 2001-02, its turnover had dived to Rs 313.3 million from Rs 538.2 million the previous year.
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.
