News Broadcasting
India TV ropes in Paritosh Joshi as CEO
MUMBAI: India TV has appointed Paritosh Joshi as its new CEO. Joshi has been a ‘strategist’ for the news channel since 2012 and was tasked with optimising and leading the revenue function of the company’s existing businesses and also develop business for its forthcoming ventures.
Joshi’s last assignment was as Star CJ Network CEO.
At India TV, the CEO post was until now held by India TV managing director Ritu Dhawan, who was given the additional portfolio in 2009 post a restructuring exercise.
Dhawan said, “Paritosh has been part of India TV family for well over three years. Its is a pleasure to welcome him home.”
Joshi added,”I have been privileged to work alongside the terrific team here for several years and when Ritu asked me to take up this responsibility, it seemed like a natural next step.”
Joshi joined Star TV in August 2005 as president, advertising sales and distribution. In 2009, he was made CEO of Star CJ Network India, which was a joint venture of Star Television and South Korea’s CJ O Shopping. He quit Star CJ Network in April 2012 and has since been working on a number of industry initiatives including the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India.
Apart from being a strategist at India TV, Joshi was also strategic advisor to the Shailesh Kapoor helmed Ormax Media.
Joshi, who was until recently Media Research Users Council (MRUC) chairman of the Technical Committee, now serves as mentor for the council.
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.
