News Broadcasting
Govt awaits pay channel prices intimation; Siti, Sony to discuss HITS
NEW DELHI: Even as the broadcasters are still in the process of “making up their minds” — as one of them put it — on the pricing of individual channels, SitiCable and Sony are slated to meet tomorrow to discuss such issues as also whether Sony channels would be available for Zee’s headend in the sky (HITS) project.
According to information available with indiantelevision.com, a senior official from India’s information and broadcasting ministry touched base with some broadcasters on the pricing front today, but did not seem to have got any concrete feedback.
Government sources also indicated that the broadcasters may meet up with ministry officials on Wednesday where it is expected that a pricing strategy may be unveiled.
The problem with the government is that it cannot force the broadcasters to intimate it the prices, as the notification on this clearly states that the cable operators have to display the individual prices of the channels, which means that the broadcasters need to inform the cable ops about the pricing and not the government.
Meanwhile, in tomorrow’s meeting between SitiCable and Sony, it is expected that apart from the pricing issue, the issue of HITS and Sony channels being available on the platform would also be thrashed out.
The presence of non-Zee and Turner channels on the HITS platform is important for the Subhash Chandra company to make the project viable and attractive for cable ops too.
Star India in the past has expressed its unwillingness to decide on joining a HITS platform promoted by Zee, even though SitiCable has claimed that Star has not got back to them after the initial parleys.
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.
