News Broadcasting
News18 India gears up for West Bengal elections with ‘Sabse Bada Dangal’
New Delhi: With days left for the crucial West Bengal assembly elections, television news channels are gearing up to shore up viewership on their poll coverage. Amid the intense competition, News18 India has announced an array of programming under its election based viewer engagement campaign ‘Sabse Bada Dangal’ for the upcoming polls.
The programming will highlight the ground realities, showcasing a 360-degree view of the state against the backdrop of the fierce battle between the leading political parties. According to the broadcaster, it will comprise audience based debate shows, interviews with some of the biggest newsmakers along with special editions of popular shows such as Bhaiyaji Kahin, Lapete Mein Netaji, Desh ko Jawab Do and Ye Desh Hai Hamara.
With an aim to highlight and raise relevant on-ground issues, Bhaiyaji Kahin, hosted by Prateek Trivedi, will travel the length and breadth of Bengal and Assam to capture the pulse of the electorate. Another show Lapete Mein Netaji will go on-ground to bring politicians, poets and people together in a light-hearted manner at key issues shaping the political discourse in the state. While Ye Desh Hai Humara, an audience-based debate show, will seek the viewpoint of top political leaders, Desh Ko Jawab Do will encourage discussion between key stakeholders to highlight the key concerns of the voters in the state.
The programming will be led by the channel’s team of leading anchors and journalists including Kishore Ajwani, Amish Devgan and Prateek Trivedi who will offer viewers an all-encompassing coverage of the assembly elections. The formidable editorial team will be supported by a panel of renowned political experts and analysts who will keep the viewers apprised about every single political development in the state.
Further, the power-packed programming will also cover polling days and counting day extensively, bringing the fastest and the most accurate updates to the viewers, it said.
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.
