News Broadcasting
News Express rebrands to focus on investigative journalism
MUMBAI: When Vinod Kapri quit as India TV’s managing editor and joined News Express as the network’s editor-in-chief and CEO, he had firmly decided that he would bring about a turnaround in the channel.
Now two months later, News Express is all set to give itself a polished look starting 25 February.
News Express has a brand new logo in red and blue and a dual tag line ‘We report to you/Fikra Aapki’ in order to communicate that the channel will be pro people.
Similarly, the graphics of the channel will also be designed by an agency that has developed the new logo. The agency will also be working on the new channels planned by News Express. With the new look, the channel aims to be a lot more cleaner and a lot less noisier.
Investigative stories will form the core of the channel. Says Kapri, “We already have tough competition in the Hindi space. We have decided to do three things: make the channel clutter free, focus on investigative journalism and not put up any content which will hurt people or go against basic norms of news coverage.”
Kapri also adds that the aim of the channel is not to be the first or the number one but rather to be the one to present the right news. The focus is on getting new viewers to sample the new look of the channel.
The channel is launching with its first show called Operation Prime Minister. Other shows lined up are Namaskar India, Desh Janana Chahta Hai with Nishant Chaturvedi, Rajniti Black and White with Navin Kumar, Express Election xchange with Satish K Singh and Nishant Chaturvedi, The New(s) Rebel – Ek awaz tark ki with Satish K Singh, Aaj ke Mukhya Samachar with Nishant Chaturvedi and Kapri’s own show Raj Shastra. A special weekly show called Udaan is planned that will be anchored by acid attack survivor Laxmi.
The marketing campaign will begin in the first week of March, once the channel has settled a bit. Owing to elections, Kapri is confident that it will resonate well with the viewers.
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.
