News Broadcasting
NDTV launches opt-out tech for Delhi with ‘Fight for Delhi’
MUMBAI: After launching the opt-out technology in south-only and Kolkata-only shows, NDTV has announced to use its opt-out technology to launch a special show for Delhi.
NDTV 24X7’s Delhi viewers will now have a 30-minute show dedicated to the news that affects the capital. Using its opt-out technology, starting 6 November. The channel will broadcast Fight for Delhi at 7.30 pm on weeknights. While the capital watches this show, the rest of the country will watch NDTV 24X7’s national beam.
Fight For Delhi will bring the people of Delhi face-to-face with their elected representatives so they can get an immediate response to their concerns, states an official release.
“It’s a problem-solving show that forces bureaucrats, ministers, anyone who’s in charge to commit on air, to making the change that people want. And we will follow up on the promises that they’re made. It’s a show that campaigns for Delhi and its people,” says NDTV 24X7 managing editor Sonia Singh.
“Sheila Dikshit, has committed to meeting voters once a week on this show. Our viewers will share their issues with her, and she will appoint a person to help them out by a fixed date,” comments NDTV chairman Prannoy Roy.
The statement issued by the company stated that NDTV’s opt-out program in South India, ‘Southern Edition’, generated a huge response in the four states it airs every night at 7 pm. Viewers in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu watch their own local news on this show, while the rest of the country receives NDTV 24X7’s national beam. Once a week, southern viewers also get their own edition of “The Big Fight”, an NDTV hallmark. With the use of the opt-out technology, viewers in Kolkata also watched city-specific programming during Durga Puja.
Opt-out technology, developed by NDTV, enables geographical areas to receive an independent video signal. It’s based on automatic satellite transmission without any manual intervention. There are individual boxes that are programmed to receive and switch frequency at the desired time to shift out of the regular feed and again switch back to the main feed when the opt-out is over.
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.
