News Broadcasting
IBN7 spruces up evening prime time; launches new show
MUMBAI: With an aim to enhance the channel’s prime time experience, IBN7 is all set to give its evening prime time programming a makeover starting tonight (3 August, 2015). Redesigned to provide a refreshed look, the prime time band – 8 – 10 pm will see a new show – Hum Toh Poochenge apart from re-branded India 9 Baje, Danaadan and Criminal.
Hum Toh Poochenge will be the channel’s flagship show, which will be hosted by IBN7 deputy managing editor Sumit Awasthi. It will provide viewers with insight on the latest happenings from around the country and focus on the two biggest topics of the day. It will feature a debate for half-an-hour on each topic with those at the centre of the news that is being showcased. The channel will be inviting viewers to give their views/questions using various touch points like Twitter, Facebook, SMS and the channel’s website – IBNKhabar to ensure that the show is truly interactive.
India 9 Baje, Danaadan and Criminal are the other tent poles of the channel’s prime time programming line-up and will be seen in a complete new avatar with fresh graphics, de-cluttered packaging and high levels of energy. The crime based show at 10 pm will be rechristened and will be called- Criminal. The show will bring to the viewers the most distinctive crime news from around the country.
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.
