News Broadcasting
Network18 makes key changes in editorial leadership
New Delhi: Network18 has made key changes in its editorial leadership, with Karthik Subbaraman being tapped as managing editor of the network’s digital news operations and Vivek Narayan stepping into Subbaraman’s shoes.
While Subbaraman has been given a new role at the network, Narayan has been appointed. The latter was last serving as the executive editor and head of output at Times Now.
Both Subbaraman and Narayan will report to Santosh Menon, the network’s chief content officer. The announcements come amid an incremental growth of the network’s audience base and market dynamics.
Narayan will oversee news channels in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He started his career as a reporter at Network Television in Thiruvananthapuram in 1994 before moving on to stints at Asia Pacific communication and Eenadu TV in New Delhi. He then worked at the TV Today Network in Delhi and Kerala for five years, until 2005.
Subbaraman has been with the network for nearly four years as the editor overseeing three southern channels. A consummate news hound, Subbaraman has expertise across genres spanning general news, business, tech/start-ups and international relations. In his new role, he will supervise the editorial operations of all Network18’s digital properties, with the editors of News18 (English, Hindi and languages), Firstpost, Moneycontrol, cnbcv18.com and the central digital videos team reporting to him.
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.
