News Broadcasting
Palki Sharma leaves Firstpost: Reports
NEW DELHI: According to media reports, senior journalist Palki Sharma has stepped down from her role as managing editor of Firstpost and is set to launch her own independent venture.
During her impactful tenure at Network18, Sharma was the primary architect behind Firstpost’s transformation into a global video news powerhouse. Her most notable achievement was the launch of the flagship show, Vantage with Palki Sharma, which became a digital phenomenon, driving the platform to reach 9.2 million YouTube subscribers by early 2026.
Under her leadership, the platform achieved a historic milestone of over 2 billion views in 2025, successfully repositioning the brand to offer a “uniquely Indian lens” on international affairs for a massive global audience.
According to the same reports, Firstpost has also appointed Binoy Prabhakar as its chief content officer. Prabhakar brings over 25 years of editorial experience, having previously worked with media organisations such as Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, Moneycontrol, and CNBCTV18.com. He will be responsible for guiding Firstpost’s editorial direction as the brand moves into its next phase of growth.
As Firstpost turns the page, the moves signal transition, not disruption. While Palki Sharma charts an independent path after reshaping the platform’s global voice, Binoy Prabhakar steps in to steer its next chapter with seasoned editorial leadership.
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.
