News Broadcasting
R K Arora launches national Hindi news channel
MUMBAI: RK Arora, who is credited with building brands in the news broadcasting space, has jointly launched a new national Hindi news channel – JK 24X7 News under the banner of JK Media Network with Subash Chowdhary and Tapinder Kumar alias Bhanu.
The network also runs a channel in regional space ‘Gulistan News’ which caters to the viewers of Jammu & Kashmir and is most popular amongst its viewers.
Inspired with the thought, ‘Aao Badlen Hum’ — spurring change and emboldening the voice of the changing India, is the brand positioning for JK 24X7 News. Believing in the fundamental principle of “You must be the change you want to see in the world”, JK 24X7 news is making an effort and creating a differentiation in the news genre by bringing a change in itself in a positive way and cutting the morass of the market.
To achieve this, JK 24X7 News has a mix of programs that its programming team has especially designed and produced that will help it make a positive impact in the lives of its viewers.
JK 24X7 News is available on all major cable networks, and will shortly be available on all DTH platforms.
The network has plans for expansion of their bouquet of channels in different genres in near future.
A Chartered accountant by profession, Arora has over 25 years of experience. He recently, stepped down as Executive Director and CEO of Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL). Prior to ZMCL, he has worked with various media houses viz.- News Nation, India News, News 24 and India TV.
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.
