News Broadcasting
Suresh Selvaraj joins Asianet News Network as ED and CEO
MUMBAI: Asianet News Network (ANNPL) has appointed Suresh Selvaraj as executive director and CEO.
Selvaraj comes from Outlook Group, where he spent 13 years.
Selvaraj will be responsible for overall operations and management of various businesses of ANNPL, which consists of Malayalam news channel -Asianet News, Kannada news channel Suvarna News 24×7 and Kannada newspaper Kannada Prabha.
Selvaraj said, “I am quite excited with the opportunity provided to me in this role. I am getting familiarised with the people and the processes and am very confident of doing my bit to elevate this business to the next level.”
ANNPL chairman Rajeev Chandrasekhar added, “I am happy to have Suresh Selvaraj on board. With his successful stints earlier and media experience spanning over three decades, we are confident of consolidating our existing media brands and growing them further. We have definite plans of expansion including making further investments and expansion to new markets and platforms. I am sure having a person with Suresh‘s background will help our endeavours.”
Selvaraj comes with over 30 years of experience in media in organisations like The Times of India Group, Deccan Herald Group, The Statesman, Outlook Group including Marie Claire, the Indian edition of the French fashion magazine.
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.
