News Broadcasting
NDTV, Astro launches Astro c in Indonesia
MUMBAI: NDTV and Astro jointly announced the launch of a 24 hour news, infotainment and lifestyle channel called Astro Awani in Djakarta, Indonesia. The language of the channel is primarily Bahasa Indonesia. Astro Awani is the first channel launched by NDTV outside of India.
With this launch Astro Awani becomes the first news channel in Astro’s bouquet, and will be distributed throughout Indonesia on PT Direct Vision’s platform, that is currently licensing the ‘Astro’ trademark. Astro is expected to complete its 20 per cent investment in PT Direct Vision soon, states an official release.
“Astro Awani has been launched to provide incisive, up-to-the-minute news, lifestyle, debate, current affairs and infotainment to discerning viewers in Indonesia. By partnering with NDTV, we’ve ensured that we bring nothing less than the best practices in news gathering and infotainment programming to our viewers,” says PT Direct Vision CEO Nelia Sutrisno.
Commenting on the launch, Prannoy Roy of NDTV said, “This is a landmark for NDTV. For India’s media industry this is the first time that an Indian company has launched a news and infotainment channel outside India in partnership with an international media company. We regard this as one our most exciting new ventures and look forward to launching many more channels outside India in the future.”
Astro Awani fills the need for an information-based channel in Indonesia. Aimed at urban educated viewers around Indonesia, the channel is in the local Indonesian language – Bahasa Indonesia. The content is made up of news bulletins, current affairs shows, lifestyle programming and documentaries, adds the release.
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.
