News Broadcasting
Sahu to lead resources & distribution-hit Doordarshan news channels’ repositioning
MUMBAI: DD India, the Indian pubcaster Doordarshan’s international channel, is prepared to become an English news channel. The bilingual DD News could soon air only Hindi news, PTI reported. However, the Sanskrit programming on DD News would continue.
The idea and decision of repositioning DD’s key channels were made after Prasar Bharati board’s brainstorming meeting, sources told PTI. The discussion on the two channels was initiated by Prasar chairperson A Surya Prakash.
After the meeting, the board directed that the channels need to be repositioned soon, and asked Doordarshan director-general Supriya Sahu, and other top officials to work in this regard.
Owing to paucity of resources, while DD India has struggled to grow up to the level of a leading global channel, DD News has had its own issues. It is a type of hybrid channel, which delivered news in English as well Hindi.
While many earlier expected that DD India would be ranked with the best of channels, its impact was affected by a combination of factors, including poor distribution and a resource crunch. At the meeting, it was decided that DD India will now be seen in a new form — as an English news and current affairs channel catering to both, domestic and international audience.
The Prasar board members also came to the conclusion that DD News would be made a Hindi news channel. It was felt that viewership was affected since Hindi and English news bulletins alternate on the channel.
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.
