News Broadcasting
Future belongs to regional news channels: Ravi Prakash
NEW DELHI: The future of television news channels is in going regional. However, the path is not so easy as it is marred with political influence, flawed rating system and pressure on editorial. These were the thoughts of Associated Broadcasting Company Ltd (ABCL) CEO Ravi Prakash.
ABCL had launched a 24-hour news channel (TV9 AP) in Andhra Pradesh in 2004 and was faced with severe skepticism at that time, Prakash said.
“When we launched the channel, many questions were raised about viability. Today, there are 17 news channels in the state, and no one is closing down,” he said.
Prakash was giving his perspective on regional news during the 4th News Television Summit on 17 March in New Delhi.
During his keynote, he stressed that even if regional is the future; there is a big problem in terms of politicians wanting to launch their channels.
“The entry of politicians and political money has its consequences. There are other issues also like paid news, but the biggest is political. And it just doesn’t stop there. Problem is that the leaders don the role of editors and control the content,” Prakash rued.
He cited the example of Tamil Nadu where a leading group is affiliated to a political party. Without taking any names, he also said that at least three channels in Andhra Pradesh are owned, directly or indirectly, by politicians.
Prakash said that the rating agency is flawed and it forces the channels to produce and serve mediocre programmes.
“Tam is forcing the channels to air trivial content. The peoplemeters are installed in the lower economic strata and that has to be changed,” he said.
Blaming it on Tam and demanding rationalisation in the ratings process, Prakash candidly said: “I am ashamed to say that we have had to show some content because they get ratings.”
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.
