News Broadcasting
HBN Group soft launches CNEB news & entertainment channel
MUMBAI: The HBN Group has soft launched its 24-hour Hindi news and entertainment channel CNEB. CNEB, which stands for Complete News and Entertainment Broadcast, has signature statement Lahar to paida hogi (ripples will be created).
The channel is all set to launch commercially in May.
Girish Juneja, who was executive producer of programming in India TV, is the creative and programming head of CNEB.
“Our soft launch is on and CNEB will see commercial launch in May,” Juneja told Indiantelevision.com.
“More and more news channels have shifted their focus from hardcore news to a lot more of entertaining content. We have tailored our channel taking this into account, so as to give a 360 degree view of news,” said Juneja.
In addition to news, CNEB will also showcase shows on crime, entertainment, travelogues and public interest.
Run from a 16,000-square foot building in Noida, the channel has three fully functional bureaus in Lucknow, Chandigarh and Dehradun. The Mumbai bureau is under construction. For the rest, CNEB will rely on stringer-based network.
“The channel is available through DishTV and will be shortly available on Tata Sky,” said Juneja.
Amandeep Singh Sran is the chairman of CNEB Pvt Ltd, a part of HBN Group that runs HBN Homes Colonisers, Viraman Buildcon and Developers, HBN Dairies and Allied Ltd, and HBN Insurance Agencies Ltd.
The group also has plans to launch next year two Punjabi language channels – a music and a news and entertainment channel.
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.
