News Broadcasting
Revamped IBN7 to focus on ‘news’ and not ‘views’
MUMBAI: In a bid to differentiate itself in the crowded Hindi news genre, IBN7 of the Network18 group has decided to re-launch itself once again.
It was in July 2013, that the channel had revamped itself. Now on 19 October, it will again undergo change to reposition itself with the new tag line ‘Hausla Hai’, a fresh perspective and a committed team of reporters, new shows and pacier and cleaner graphics.
Network 18 News president Umesh Upadhyay stated that the re-launch will be a defining milestone for the channel.
“Our increased focus on news as against just views, clean look and feel, our unmatched footprint and coverage and our focus on strong journalistic values will resonate with the Hindi news viewers. We already have an exceptionally strong team with senior journalists like Sanjeev Paliwal and MK Jha which has become stronger, more vibrant and more credible with the addition of our new team members.”
With over 2,200 reporters across the country, the channel plans to focus on providing more news as opposed to views and opinions that it says have become the norm on most news channels.
The changes at the channel are being fronted by established faces of television like Sumit Awasthi, Richa Anirudh and Akash Soni along with Navjyot Kaur, Tejasvi Chandok Nayyar, Payal Bhuyan, Himani Naithani, Pankaj Bhargava, Amrit Anand and the channel’s present team of journalists and reporters.
As part of the new launch, IBN7 will also be launching several new shows. From a programme that will showcase news from every nook and corner of the country called Desh Din Bhar to a big town, big story show named Rajdhani Express and a show dedicated to the latest buzz and trends in the social media space called INews. The prime time programming on IBN7 is also being strengthened with a new show Aath Baje which will be a round-up of news and will also deep dive into major issues. This will be followed by a rejuvenated India Nau Baje which will have short format news, packages and newsmaker interviews and a new crime bulletin called Crime News.
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.
