News Broadcasting
Its poaching season for news channels
NEW DELHI: For those active in the electronic medium and TV journalists, it seems happy days are here again. And for broadcasters and TV software companies, it is also poaching time.
The latest, according to the capital’s grapevine, to do the hop, step and jump is Dibang who has left Aaj Tak to join as executive editor at NDTV which probably is preparing for life after Star post 31 March, 2003.
It is also being said here at the Press Club of India, a place where gossip flies thick and fast, that along with Dibang, a former Times of India journalist and a few others from Aaj Tak may also go. Though not confirmed, but the names doing the rounds of those who may leave Aaj Tak for other pastures include that of news anchors Nagma and Prasoon Pandey.
While Star India is fast recruiting people from the print and the electronic medium (Gaurav Sawant, formerly on the defence beat at the Indian Express in Delhi, is already said to have left for training abroad for Star’s news channel), NDTV does not seem to be far behind.
In recent times, not only has it recruited people for its news portal, ndtv.com, but is also wooing people for its proposed Hindi and English channels slated to be launched next year. Apart from Dibang, Ajit Sahi is also reported to be joining NDTV. Sahi, a former executive producer with the defunct Business India TV, had been working with India Abroad News Service (IANS).
Sahara, in the meanwhile, too has been getting newspersons in place for its proposed state-specific news channels. In recent times some people from Jain TV, have reportedly joined Sahara Samay (news) family.
But what is exciting print medium journalists that they suddenly see opportunities at their existing place of work and also in TV. Newspaper offices on the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, the Fleet Street of Delhi, these days are agog with talks as to who is going where and who is getting a promotion subsequent to people leaving for TV.
The mantra these days in journalistic circles is: make hay while the (TV) sun shines.
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.
