News Broadcasting
NDTV moots fourth channel as NDTV Nation
MUMBAI: It appears that as a natural progression for the Prannoy Roy-promoted NDTV Ltd, the network is moving forward to have a bouquet of channels, on the lines of Star India and Zee Telefilms. NDTV has applied for uplinking permission for a fourth channel.
The name of the proposed channel, as mentioned in the uplink application, is likely to be ‘NDTV Nation’.
Quoting from relevant papers, government sources said the name, NDTV Nation is mentioned by NDTV in its uplink application, but added it could be a working name for the proposed channel that could undergo a change at a later stage.
Contacted by Indiantelevision.com, a source in NDTV did not confirm or deny the development on NDTV Nation, but added, “No final decision (on the name) has been taken yet.”
Though details of the proposed channel are still hazy, it is expected that NDTV Nation would be a news channel focusing on news of various regions of India.
PERMISSION FOR A 5TH CHANNEL SOUGHT?
Interestingly, government sources in the know of the developments, say NDTV has sought permission for a fifth channel as well, which is likely to have niche sports programming as its dominant content offering.
When queried about uplink permission sought for a fifth channel, the NDTV source denied it outright, categorically stating there is no fifth channel in the pipeline as of now.
It is worth noting here that NDTV has already made a play in the sporting property rights arena – recently submitting financial bids for telecast rights for the All India Football Federation. The other contenders in the fray are ESPN Star Sports, Zee Sports, Nimbus and Leisure Sports Management.
According to information available, the attempt to bid for the football rights is just a step towards realising a bigger dream of NDTV — that of having a bouquet of channels of its own straddling most of the traditional genres of programming.
According to a market analyst, in the $ 4.5 billion Indian entertainment industry, the advertising industry is expected to grow strongly by around 12 per cent in FY 2006-2008. TV will increase its share of ad pie from 47 per cent to 50 per cent in the next three years to cross Rs 50 billion, the analyst states. Not surprisingly, within the TV segment, news broadcasting is the fastest growing one.
NDTV scrip opened on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Monday at Rs 208 after closing on 17 June, Friday at Rs 206.
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.
