News Broadcasting
Times picks up Reuters hand Giri Venkateshan for new business and news channel
MUMBAI: The Times of India Group is going the whole hog as far as making new appointments for their new business and news channel is concerned. After hiring some CNBC TV 18, Star News, Headlines Today, Sahara hands, the group has now taken on board Reuters’ Giri Venkateshan as news editor – markets.
Venkateshan, who has experience of 17 years in the field, started his career as a banker and has worked with the Hindu Business Line in the area of equity research. Post that, he joined Reuters and has worked with their Mumbai, Delhi and London bureaus. In his nine year stint at Reuters, Venkateshan was the chief correspondent – treasury in charge of all financial reporting in India. Whereas in London, he handled US treasuries and Euro Zone – government bonds.
Speaking on the new appointment, vice president news and editor television division Arnab Goswami says, “A person like Giri brings to our table a greater awareness, breadth of knowledge and experience, which we think will be critical in differentiating us completely from any of the existing news channels or the ones that are slated to launch.”
Industry sources reveal that the business and news channel from the Times’ kitty is expected to draw from the editorial reserve of the Economic Times and the Economic Times intelligence group, while at the same time build the in-house editorial team.
The name of the new channel has not yet been finalised.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
