News Broadcasting
News24 to hike ad rates by 40% post revamp
MUMBAI: A decade after making a headway into India’s burgeoning news TV industry, Hindi news channel News24 has given itself a makeover to stay relevant in the current times. The channel, owned by BAG Network and Media, got a new logo design and tagline of ‘Think First’ earlier this month.
Talking to Indiantelevision.com, BAG Network CMD and News24 editor-in-chief Anurradha Prasad said that the revamp was initiated since the channel had completed 10 years in the market and as she expected 2018 to be a major milestone for the industry.
“After the revamp, which involves several operational changes, we plan to increase the ad rates by 30-40 per cent. We are gearing ourselves up for an action-packed 2018 since it will be a very big year for news thanks to the state and general elections,” Prasad pointed out. She pegged the Hindi news genre at Rs 5000 crore in terms of revenue, significantly larger than the English news genre.
Distribution is the biggest challenge for the industry and the cost involved is high. “Since we are a free-to-air channel, our entire revenue is dependent on advertisers. If all the FTA channels spend 60 per cent of that for distribution, it is bound to impact the content. The way forward is through optimal use of technology and smartphones,” she said.
Alongside the channel refresh, the channel’s shows have received a brand-new look as well. Sabse Bada Sawwal with Sandeep Chaudhary airs at 7 pm followed by Rashtra ki Baat with Manav Gupta. In the former, experts provide their views on the latest issues and question the authorities. In the other show, the anchor sheds light on the current affairs, news updates and social issues of the country.
Prasad says that the channel is bringing out a new cybercrime show for the weekend that will be an eye-opener for the youth and parents. “People are unaware of the dark web and how it operates and the 13-episode show will aim to unravel that.”
The channel aims to empower its viewers with news without any agenda. According to Prasad, News24 has a reach of 7.5 to 8 crore households a week with presence in 90 per cent of homes in the Hindi-speaking market.
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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.
