News Broadcasting
Stand-up comedian Atul Khatri is reading ‘Only Positive News!’
NEW DELHI: CEO-turned-ace comedian Atul Khatri is spending his quarantine time cheering up folks on social media, after his 16-city tour tanked because of the novel coronavirus epidemic. Understanding the responsibility that widely-followed content creators have now, Khatri started his own short-video programme called “Only Positive News!”, which he is promoting on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Talking about the property with Indiantelevision.com, Khatri says, “I conceptualised this idea earlier this month when the pandemic was becoming a serious news. Be it news channels, or WhatsApp groups, everything was filled with so much of negativity. So, I thought that there must be some positive news out there and I should promote it.”
Khatri says that with nine episodes down, the mini series has got him a lot of positive response, not just within the country, but also from overseas. “I have got around 4000 new unique followers on Instagram with ‘Only Positive News!” and a lot of appreciation from my followers. More than a lakh people are watching its episodes,” he notes.
Elaborating on the process of creating the property, Khatri says he initially talked to his video editor about shooting and editing it, but it was not feasible because he lives in the other part of the city. Then, some of his fellow comedians suggested he use mobile-editing software InShot and do it himself. He claims to have learnt the software within a day and is now regularly serving netizens with a droplet of hope and positivity with the show, told in his own signature comic style.
Khatri admits that his industry has been hit hard because of live events being cancelled, but he is happy that the authorities are taking the necessary steps to avoid further spread. What he is concerned about more is the impact the pandemic is having on the life of daily wage earners like spot guys and makeup artists and hopes private and government intervention can be of support to them.
A former C-level executive, Khatri is also expecting some government intervention in the business side as well. “I was talking to a friend who told me that he has salaries to pay worth Rs 45 lakh. I suggested he keeps the salaries going, especially for those employees who have EMIs to pay. But what is needed right now is government support, maybe in the form of cancelling EMIs for the time period, or giving out monetary support.”
Khatri feels that employers should take care of their employees in such times. Asked what his plan of action would have been in case he was still running a company, he said his prime concern would have been employee safety and satisfaction. “I would have let them work from home and provide all the necessary support.”
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.
