News Broadcasting
TV Today applies for business channel uplink
MUMBAI: The Aroon Purie-controlled TV Today Network is back in the news after the launch of its Hindi news channel Tez. Hardly has the dust settled on the launch of Tez than it has sought uplink licence for yet another channel.
This would be the fifth from the stable. Government sources indicate that TV today is contemplating coming out with a business channel and the uplink licence that has been sought mentions that fact. The details of the proposed business channel have not been forthcoming however.
Before that though, there is the fourth channel from the stable that is awaiting entry into an increasingly crwoded news terrain. The fourth channel, which is expected to be a metro-centric channel, is targeting a December or early January 2006 launch.
Information and Broadcasting minstry sources have confirmed the developments to Indiantelevision.com.
At present, in the Hindi business news space, the already existing channels are CNBC Awaaz and Zee Business, while in the English space there is CNBC TV18 and NDTV Profit. What has yet to be identified is whether the proposed business channel will be attacking the English or Hindi news space.
As has been reiterated by various media analysts, every new news channel will have to carve out its own identity and uniqueness within the given space. This seems to be the mantra for TV Today Network as well.
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.
