News Broadcasting
Times Now expose against VVIP culture gains support
MUMBAI: Almost seven decades since India gained Independence, the roughshod riding ways of the politicians and the VVIPs had pushed aside the rights of the common man and made their everyday life more than difficult. But the ongoing campaign by news channel Times Now against the VVIP Raj has made people come together against such culture.
In keeping with the Times Now ‘Action Begins Here’ campaign launched on 25 February, it has created an impact with people from all walks of life rising in unison to voice against the VVIP culture. The expose on the VVIPs causing inconvenience and hardships to people even during emergencies has seen the campaign gather momentum claims the channel.
The channel first highlighted the special privilege at the railway station in Chandigarh, a special lane for VVIPs where they would zoom past while one was left to battle traffic jams. It resulted in the ‘Only for VVIPs’ lane being now opened for all.
It also brought to light the reserved special wards in a hospital in Bangalore for the VVIPs even as commoners struggled for a bed and even if they got one, they had to contend with rats and mosquitoes. Then, in Hyderabad where a special lane leads the VVIPs straight to the tarmac of the airport even as normal traffic leaves many a passengers stranded for hours!
On 8 March the channel flashed the traffic snarl from outside Mumbai’s National Sports Club of India (NSCI) near Haji Ali to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link only because the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s presence at the club made the cops stop other cars from entering NSCI. This led to unruly scenes as people argued with the cops. Later, the CM apologized for the inconvenience caused and promised immediate action into the matter.
The hashtag #VVIPRacism was trending on social media. There were over 26,000 tweets and 33.4 million impressions on Twitter in less than 48 hours. The issue trended globally at number one slot for more than 30 minutes during the News Hour show on 8 March.
The tweets and Facebook reactions are continuing to flow says the channel. Till 9 March morning these figures jumped to 347.1 million potential impressions. (Time Period: 25 February till 2 March, 10 am).
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.
