News Broadcasting
Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand speaks out on l’affaire Arnab
MUMBAI: Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand is known to be a rather reticent kind of executive. He would rather keep a low profile and speak only when he is approached. So, when he decides to open up to the media, there’s obviously something he wants to set right.
Says he: “Ever since Arnab’s departure, the rumour mills have been running amok and a lot of canards have been let loose. I would like to set them right.”
According to Anand, first is the buzz that Arnab left because he was being sidelined, and that he did not have much editorial independence. “The fact is that there was zero pressure on him,” he says. “We don’t meddle with the editorial policy. I have spoken to him on content matters only twice since I have been here. And, the shareholders do not really get in to day-to-day operations at all.”
Anand shares that it was Arnab who announced his departure to his team before putting out his resignation to him, and let it to go viral on social media.
“We share a good relationship. We continued carrying his picture and name on the shows he used to host for a long time even after he announced his departure. Even on the last day, I had lunch with him and there was no negativity. I would have loved to retain him. I was saddened to see him go and, of course, I miss him,” he acknowledges.
Anand berates the fact that there seems to be a campaign to malign Times Now. “People were saying that Times Now and Arnab are synonymous. That Times Now has sunk after Arnab. BARC data shows otherwise. Week 1-45 of this year, Times Now had an audience share of 41 per cent; week 46-50 it has the same 41 per cent,” he says.
Then, there is the rumour that the news channel lost Rs 100 crore in revenue post-Arnab. “Untrue again. While I believe it’s worth that much, I wish we made so much money on NewsHour that he used to anchor,” he expresses.
Market estimates are that Arnab’s prime time shows contributed around Rs 50-60 crore to the channel’s top line, figures which Anand is unwilling to confirm.
“The advertisers who were there when Arnab was anchoring are there even when he is not,” says he. “Just take a look at the Adex data for October and November.”
What Anand wants to finally rectify is the perception that hordes of journalists have followed in the wake of Arnab. “Times Now has 320 employees,” he says. “Nine have left. We have a normal attrition rate of 25 per cent which is about 80 people leaving each year or around six to seven staffers each month. If we lose nine people, it does not mean there has been an exodus. 311 staffers have chosen to stay on.”
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.
