News Broadcasting
Maximum city, maximum ballots as CNN-News18 goes full throttle on BMC polls
MUMBAI: When Mumbai votes, the noise is never just political, it is civic, chaotic and consequential. As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation heads to the polls on 15 January, CNN-News18 is rolling out wall-to-wall election coverage with its special programming, Ballot Maximum City, putting India’s richest municipal body firmly under the spotlight.
The BMC election, being held after an eight-year gap, carries added weight this time. Beyond party arithmetic, the outcome will shape Mumbai’s roads, public health systems, transport networks and everyday governance, all against the backdrop of shifting political alliances and heightened voter expectations in the country’s financial capital.
CNN-News18’s coverage blends sharp political decoding with ground-up reporting. Short, punchy segments under Ballot Maximum City track Mumbai’s most recognisable political faces as they criss-cross the city, offering viewers a ringside view of campaign strategies and street-level outreach. The line-up includes interactions with leaders such as Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, Aaditya Thackeray, Varun Sardesai and Praful Patel.
Keeping voters centre stage is Reporters Project, a two-part docu-series that sees CNN-News18 journalists fan out across key wards to capture what really matters on the ground. The first episode maps voter expectations and civic pain points, while the second follows the campaign trail amid Mumbai’s changing political equations including how the Uddhav–Raj Thackeray reunion could reshape the contest.
Adding a distinctly local flavour, Mumbai Local features candid Walk The Talk-style conversations with familiar city voices who have watched Mumbai evolve over decades. Guests include Milind Deora, Shobha De, Priya Dutt, Vivek Agnihotri and Malhar Kamble, offering perspectives that cut across politics, culture and civic life.
The build-up peaks with Mumbai 60, a one-hour live special airing on 14 January at 5 pm, focused on ward-level issues and last-minute electoral buzz. On polling day, 15 January, the channel promises continuous on-ground coverage from booths across the city, culminating in detailed Counting Day programming on 16 January from 7 am onwards.
Explaining the editorial approach, CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said the focus remains firmly on voters, with reporting rooted in wards, citizen voices and campaign realities.
Echoing this, CNN-News18 CEO for english and business News Smriti Mehra said the endeavour with Ballot Maximum City is to move beyond headlines and soundbites, reflecting the real concerns shaping Mumbai’s civic future.
As Maximum City gears up for decision day, CNN-News18 is betting that deep reporting, sharp analysis and boots-on-the-ground journalism will once again make elections unmissable viewing.
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.
