News Broadcasting
TOI Bangalore makes way for good times with an 80-page issue
Mumbai: One of the most palpable ways to tell if things are coming back to normal is to begin the day with a newspaper whose mere heft bears a piece of positive news.
In the wake of a devastating second wave and amidst concerns about a third one, it’s how businesses strive to make the present worthwhile that inspires and injects new hope in all of the economy. It’s an effective stimulant on the consumer side too. When readers see a thicker paper filled with brand advertisements, they are more motivated to come out of the inertia of consumption and begin to feel a sense of comfort with the status quo.
A bearer of this sweet news was Saturday’s Times of India Bangalore 80-page edition filled with ads from consumer-facing brands who want to usher in a wave of normalcy without waiting for the situation to fix itself.
According to TOI, the edition featured as many as 125 advertisers. The paper drew brands from across the categories of consumer durables, retail, luxury, real estate, BFSI, apparel, digital, automobile, and more signaling that they are ready as ever to make the ‘New Normal’ not just a survival story, but a story of growth.
“This uplifting edition could not have been accomplished without the combined efforts of the Times of India Bangalore team whose unwavering belief in change translated into this bumper issue,” the organisation said in a statement.
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.
