News Broadcasting
Point Blank gears up for hard-hitting episode with R.K. Singh interview
MUMBAI: When politics turns into prime-time theatre, few shows pack the punch of Point Blank. Live Times’ flagship programme, helmed by veteran anchor Deepak Chaurasia, is set to air another explosive episode on Sunday, 28 September at 8 pm, with senior BJP leader and former union minister R.K. Singh in the hot seat.
In a no-holds-barred exchange, Singh tears into the BJP-led Bihar government, alleging corruption has seeped into even the prime minister’s flagship PM Awas Yojana. According to him, commissions are the price of approvals, and the Nitish Kumar administration has “no control” over the rot. Singh directly challenges party leaders Dilip Jaiswal and Ashok Choudhary to answer his allegations.
But he doesn’t stop there. The former minister drops another political bombshell: Prashant Kishor invited him to join his party. While Singh insists he has no immediate plans to quit the BJP, he boldly declares he would form his own political party if expelled. “Ideas are good, but they must translate into action,” he says, hinting that Kishor’s promises may need proof in practice.
The episode also revisits Singh’s much-debated association with the phrase “saffron terror”. He clarifies that the term was coined by others including former home minister and Congress veteran Digvijay Singh while his own comments were restricted to presenting facts. Singh underlines that the NDA’s path to electoral victory lies in restoring honesty and integrity, not in rhetoric.
The interview captures the political crossroads facing Singh, who blends candour with calculation. It’s a conversation that could shake up the NDA narrative in Bihar, where anti-corruption credibility has often made or broken governments.
Reflecting on the larger mission of Point Blank, Live Times founder Dilip Kumar Singh says: “At Live Times, truth is not negotiable. Point Blank embodies our mission to confront power with courage and clarity. This interview with R.K. Singh proves why journalism must go beyond headlines, it delivers the unfiltered reality citizens deserve.”
With fearless questioning, fact-driven debate, and a refusal to let power escape scrutiny, Point Blank has cemented itself as the channel’s beating heart. Tomorrow’s episode is expected to be one of its most hard-hitting yet, a must-watch for anyone tracking the future of Bihar politics and the NDA’s credibility crisis.
Audiences can tune in on DD Free Dish – Channel 100, Tata Play – 539, Airtel Digital TV – 385, Dish TV – 665, Sikka Cable – 519, and Jio TV – 3069, as well as streaming platforms including Tata Play Mobile, Airtel Xstream, Dish TV Watcho, and DD Waves. The full broadcast will also be available at www.livetimes.news.
Live Times Complete Truth, Whatever It Takes.
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.
