News Broadcasting
Manorama News associates with Voter’s Mood Research for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
Mumbai: In a significant move towards understanding the pulse of the Kerala voters, Manorama News embarked on a significant undertaking by associating with Voter’s Mood Research for an extensive pre-poll survey ahead of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. With a mammoth sample size of 28,000 voters where each of the participant has undergone a detailed face to face interview, this survey, known as ‘20th il Aaru?’ is the largest of its kind in Kerala, aiming to capture the detailed nuances of the current political mood. The chances of candidates in all the 20 constituencies of kerala in the upcoming Loksabha elections is evaluated in detail this poll.
The survey will be broadcast on television from April 10 to April 12, providing an engaging and informative spectacle for viewers. The panel will be led by the prime anchors of Manorama News, including Johny Lukose, Shani Prabhakaran, Shibu Joseph and Muhammed Rashid . The three day event will be shot and presented in Manorama News’ exclusive Virtual Infinity Set which is the of the first of kind news channel in India with a multi tracking camera system.
Manorama News has a track record of delivering accurate results, as demonstrated by its close alignment with the final outcomes in both the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Kerala State Assembly elections. In 2023, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Manorama News did an opinion poll with VMR named ‘Navakerala Manasu’. The performance of the state-central governments, the factors that could influence elections in the state and at the center, the performance of the Members of Parliament (MPs), were evaluated. The channel’s commitment to precision and reliability position opinion polls as a benchmark for understanding public sentiment, setting the stage for informed and enlightened decision-making among voters.
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.
