News Broadcasting
Krishna Prasad named The Hindu’s group editorial officer
NEW DELHI: The Hindu Group Publishing, which owns The Hindu, The Hindu BusinessLine, Frontline, and Sportstar, has appointed Krishna Prasad as the group editorial officer. Prasad is the former editor-in-chief of Outlook magazine, and former editor of Vijay Times, a Times of India publication.
In a career that spans over 35 years, Prasad has taught journalism on three continents. A member of the Press Council of India, he was one of the earliest mainstream journalists who switched to digital journalism.
The veteran journalist is also known for having exposed match-fixing in Indian cricket along with Cobrapost founder Aniruddha Bahal. American political commentator and author Thomas Friedman, during his visit to India in 2004, had called Prasad ''one of the brightest young journalists in India.''
"Krishna Prasad as group editorial officer will play a guiding role on content management and strategy across all the publications, working with the editors of the various publications, digital editors, and the business and technical teams to drive THG’s digital transformation,” said The Hindu Group chairperson Malini Parthasarathy. “He will help situate content optimally across publications and ensure synergy between our product offerings. We are confident that he will help us not only build greater synergy in our content offerings but help us raise the bar in building high-quality journalism and widen our digital imagination."
Prasad said, "For 143 years, The Hindu has been India’s most trusted newspaper, respected the world over for its independence, credibility and authority. It is a real honour to be tasked with shaping its direction for the digital age while keeping journalism front and centre. I look forward to working closely with the group’s editors and journalists, business and technical teams, to future-proof the institution’s awesome legacy."
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.
