News Broadcasting
Times Now to explore value-added, DTH opportunities
MUMBAI: Times Now, the news channel that started beaming on 31 January has just one agenda: try redefining the concept of news. Target audience: an urbanite.
Pointing out that the new channel is looking at leadership position in the news space, Times Global Broadcasting CEO Sunil Lulla says, “Our target audience is urbanites. People like you and me. There is a lot of information available to them, but they need someone to act as a sieve and tell them the big story of the day. And, that’s what we will do.”
Reuters Media vice-president, media strategy and development, Charles G Stocks, concurs with Lulla when he observes, “We are excited and thrilled the way Times Now gets to talk to the audience. We see Times Now as our voice reaching out to the urban audience in India.”
The channel has been constructed in a way to give snappy news in the morning that will integrate into business (news), which is about stocks, policies, politics, leading to lifestyle before moving into more serious discussions or perspective on an issue.
The programming of Times Now, which is a service of the Times Group and Reuters, across the week, has 14 distinct formats with a mix of views, current affairs, business news, politics, urban trends, entertainment and sports. On weekends, the channel offers comprehensive, well-integrated, distinctive and highly stylized programmes.
Some of the varied fare on offer include Snapshots, which is about the country, Reuters World Report, The Newshour that focuses on the big story, Upfront with the big debate and Sports Unplugged.
“We do not believe it is information (that is being given to the viewers), but an experience. That’s why the tag line is `feel the news’. A viewer can actually feel the experience of the news as is gathered and from where it is gathered,” Lulla explains.
As Times Now moves ahead, it would look at promoting specific services and adding some more interactivity to the normal routine.
“We can even make the service unique, for example, by providing clips of news to consumers as previews. Those are some of the things that we will take into consideration with Reliance mobile and build it up further if there is a value proposition to the consumer.”
The company recently teamed up with Reliance IndiaMobile to make available the channel’s services to the latter’s consumers, making it the first TV station to be available to phone subscribers before going on air in a traditional way.
Will Times Global Broadcasting Ltd, a joint venture between the Times Group and Reuters, look at other markets and also DTH platforms?
Refusing to make any forward looking statements, Lulla says, “We want to concentrate in rolling out our services, building it, establishing it to the point of leadership and then communicating as to what we wish to do next.”
However, as a concession, he adds, “We are not here for the short term. We are not here to do only one service, but will certainly look at other services. I think there are many opportunities, which need to be examined and built up as we undertake some consumer innovation.”
Lulla feels that it is too early to hop on to any (new) platform as “options have to be weighed.” He adds: “We have had preliminary discussions, but need a better understanding as to how DTH players intend to operate in India and the value proposition that they can offer. We will examine all the options.”
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.
