News Broadcasting
Narsingha Broadcasting to launch Bengali News channel
KOLKATA: Kolkata-based Narsingha Broadcasting, which has re-started publishing of Bengali daily ‘Ekdin’ from 29 June after acquiring the publishing rights from old owners, now aims to foray into the television media business. The company plans to launch a Bengali satellite News channel soon. While the name of the News channel hasn’t yet been revealed, it is likely to include the word ‘Ekdin’.
“We have applied for the uplinking and downlinking licence already. Though it would be a Bengali channel, we have set aside 10 minute slots each for Hindi and English news bulletins, keeping in mind the non-Bengali TV viewers settled in Kolkata and other states,” said Ekdin editor in chief Rhitobrata Bhattacharya to indiantelevision.com.
According to industry sources, the company may take equipments and teleports on lease, at least initially. Narsingha Broadcasting had recently acquired the rights from Siliguri-based Darpan Press to re-start the Bengali daily, which had wound up the broadsheet, leaving close to 120 employees including journalists and technical staff jobless on 15 January, this year.
Founded by veteran journalist Suman Chattopadhyay, who was also the first editor of ‘Ekdin’, the newspaper was sold off to the Chakra Group after Chattopadhyay joined Eyi Shomoy, The Times Group’s Bengali daily. The Chakra Group later sold ‘Ekdin’ to Darpan, which has owned the daily since 1 October, 2013. Without citing any valid reasons to employees, Darpan shut down the publication.
When Darpan Press chief executive officer and director Sandip Choudhary was contacted he confirmed that the rights had been sold to Narsingha Broadcasting which had re-launched the newspaper.
Bhattacharya informed that ‘Ekdin’ would have Kolkata and Durgapur editions and the new management would try to attain a circulation of around one lakh, if not more in the initial months. “We are working to bring out a special supplement on cinema, literary and historical aspects to give something extra to readers apart from hard news,” he revealed.
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.
