News Broadcasting
NDTV rubbishes media report questioning ownership
MUMBAI: News broadcaster New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) has not just been breaking news lately but has also been making headlines. The company has been asked to answer questions by the stock exchange regarding an article published by Moneylife on 9 June, 2015.
The said article titled “Who Really Owns NDTV” has put the spotlight on the company with the matter even trending on Twitter after the news came out. So much so that it also caught the attention of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which sought clarification from the publicly listed company on the same.
According to the report by Moneylife, a Mukesh Ambani group entity had taken control of NDTV on the pretext of a loan agreement, way back in 2009.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, NDTV executive vice chairperson KVL Narayan Rao refuted all allegations saying, “The promoters, i.e. Dr. Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy and RRPR Private Limited (“RRPR”), continue to hold the majority shareholding of NDTV, which amounts to 61.45 per cent of the total shareholding of NDTV. There has been no change in the above shareholding since August 2008. Further, Dr. Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy continue to hold the entire shareholding of RRPR since its incorporation.”
Rao also added that there has been no change in the exercise of voting rights by the promoters with respect to their shareholding in NDTV. According to the records of NDTV, the voting rights in connection with the shares have throughout been exercised by the promoters in the case of Dr. Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy and RRPR.
“Therefore, NDTV would like to clarify that the allegations raised in the article with respect to a change in the control/ ownership of NDTV are entirely without any merit. NDTV is mindful of its obligations under Clause 36 of the Listing Agreement,” he said.
It may be recalled that just last year Ambani’s Reliance Industries bought over Raghav Bahl’s Network 18 Media and Investments Ltd, which has under its belt TV news channels namely CNBC TV18, CNN-IBN and CNN Awaz amongst a host of other businesses. NDTV, on the other hand, competes with Network 18 with its own bouquet of news channels namely NDTV 24×7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit.
A source from the channel further said, “If NDTV has to take any loan, we have to inform the BSE. We do not give importance to every news piece.”
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.
