News Broadcasting
ICRA rerates Network18 and TV18
MUMBAI: Barely a week after independent and professional investment and credit rating agency ICRA revised ratings for Network 18 media and investments (N18) and TV 18 Broadcast (TV18), it has once again upgraded the two companies ratings for enhanced amounts.
Note: Short Term Instruments (All instruments with original maturity within one year) with ICRA A1 rating are considered to have very strong degree of safety regarding timely payment of financial obligations. Such instruments carry lowest credit risk. Modifiers {“+” (plus) / “-“(minus)} can be used with the rating symbols for the categories [ICRA]AA(SO) to [ICRA]C(SO). The modifiers reflect the comparative standing within the category.
N18
The short- term rating for Rs 230 crore of ICRA A1+ and long-term rating for Rs 10 crore of ICRA A on enhanced banking facilities of Rs 240 crore (up from Rs 140 crore) has been assigned to N18. The outlook on the long-term rating is ‘positive’.
Additionally, N18’s commercial paper of Rs 100 crore has been assigned as ICRA A1+. The assigned ratings take into account the strong growth in operating profits of N18 (consolidated) in 2013-14 over the previous year, significant reduction in net losses by virtue of favourable impact of cable digitisation, internal cost compression measures and more than halving of interest costs.
The rating agency says “ICRA draws comfort from the diversified offerings of the broadcasting business across genres and expects that the addition of ETV regional channels, post the recent acquisition, will further strengthen the overall operational profile of the company on a consolidated basis. ICRA notes that the Network18’s non-broadcasting businesses continue to experience weak profitability/ losses while some of its existing bouquet of channels may also continue to face profitability pressures arising from rising competitive intensity. Also, in the broadcasting business, there is likely to be recurring need to fund gestation losses in select new channels as also additional investments that may have to be put in for the ETV bouquet of channels.”
TV18
The Rs 200 crore commercial paper programme of TV18 Broadcast has been assigned short-term rating of ICRA A1+.
The assigned ratings take into account the strong growth in operating profits of TV18 (consolidated) in 2013-14 over the previous year, increase in net profits to Rs 85.6 crore in 2013-14 from a net loss of Rs 42.2 crore in 2012-13 by virtue of favourable impact of cable digitisation, internal cost compression measures and more than halving of interest costs. The ratings continue to draw support from the diversified offerings of the company’s content bouquet across genres and strong market position of the key news and entertainment channels.
Says the rating agency, “ICRA expects that the recent addition of ETVs regional channels into TV18’s content bouquet will further strengthen the overall operational profile of the company. TV18 (consolidated) currently derives a large proportion of its revenues through advertisement income, a revenue stream that tends to be volatile and is a function of economic environment and corporate advertisement budgets. However, the enactment of regulatory framework for digitisation of cable TV Systems in India is expected to increase the quantum and proportion of the relatively more stable subscription income for TV18, going forward. Already, TV18 (consolidated) has seen a strong positive traction in net distribution income having increased to Rs 178 crore in 2013-14 (excluding ETV channels) from minus (-) Rs 102 crore in 2011-12.”
It also states that while TV18’s (consolidated) cash generation is likely to be supported by higher subscription revenues and lower carriage costs by virtue of cable digitisation, it expects continued profitability pressures arising from rising competitive intensity in key business segments, the need to fund gestation losses in select new channels as also additional investments that may have to be put in for the ETV bouquet of channels.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
