News Broadcasting
Sharp analysis, credibility: Need of the hour for news channels
NEW DELHI: In a special ongoing training workshop organised by the Jagran group of newspapers proposed news channel, Channel 7, the consensus was clearly in favour of more authentic reportage backed by a razor sharp analysis of news.
Well known personalities from various walks of society such as Dr Sanjaya Baru, media advisor to the Prime Minister; former police commissioner Arun Bhagat, noted media personality Madhu Trehan, MPs Sachin Pilot and Navjot Singh Sidhu in their special address stressed on the need for news channels to act as credible guiding forces for the viewers.
Highlighting the importance of organising a training session, Jagran TV director Siddhartha Gupta said, “With a slew of television channels around media professionals are churned out at an unbelievable speed. Unlike a decade ago, the media scene, especially that of television has become exceedingly cut throat. Quality training is as important to the continued growth of the television industry as development funding, production investment and marketing.”
Finer details of television journalism will be imparted by experts to the team of Channel 7 at this forum. Most importantly though, this workshop is not about learning what or how “television news is done,” but about how Channel 7 aims to do it. The “learning workshop” is at present going on.
In the course of the next few days, the workshop will focus on coverage related to law and media by minister of state of science and tech and lawyer Kapil Sibal, international coverage by Saeed Naqvi and right wing Journalism by former deputy editor of India Today Swapan Dasgupta.
To provide a snapshot of some of the opinions expressed during the course of the discussions so far:
DR Sanjaya Baru: Television journalism should move beyond mere news reporting to in-depth analysis of news. Todays journalists should become the flag bearers of change and bring about a transformation in journalism.
Arun Bhagat: News channels need to be more sensitive in their reportage and should present the facts in a new format. Reporting must not be restricted to only crime related stories and all stories ought to be thoroughly investigated.
Madhu Trehan: News anchors need to be more persistent while following a story idea. Sensitivity should reflect in coverage especially in news related to accidents and other calamities.
Sachin Pilot: Television in India has not yet reached a mature stage. The youth of this country has always bought about change and has the potential to do so even in the television industry.
Channel 7 will be launched in March and is being distributed by Jagran TV Pvt. Limited.
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.
