Cable TV
TV Today Network to launch NCR centric news channel –Delhi Aaj Tak
MUMBAI: Lack of adequate bandwidth with cable networks be damned. And, notwithstanding the lingering uncertainty over CAS despite a favourable court ruling, TV companies are gung-ho over introduction of new products.
The Aroon Purie-promoted TV Today Network Ltd is poised to launch a 24-hour news channel catering to the national capital region (NCR) of Delhi, which will be the fourth from its stable.
According to cable industry sources, the boxes have to be seeded before a formal launch. The new product is likely to be called Delhi Aaj Tak, trying to cash in on the brand equity of elder sibling and Hindi news market leader Aaj Tak.
The tag line for the new channel would be Delhi Aaj Tak: aapka sehar, aap tak (Delhi Aaj Tak: your city, up close). Sources said that the proposed Delhi-centric Hindi language news channel is looking at going on air in the second quarter of calendar year 2006 (April-June).
According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the team which will oversee the news channel is already in place. The proposed channel will beam via Insat 2E. The existing news channels from the TV Today stable like Aaj Tak, Headlines Today and Tez beam off the same satellite.
The Delhi-NCR region already has a host of news channels with which Delhi Aaj Tak has to compete. Existing players in this segment include the Sahara NCR, S1 and Total TV. NDTV is also planning a new product to service the metros cities, including Delhi.
However, ahead of the launch of the new product, TV Today has once again become a poaching ground for competitors. Recently, Aaj Tak’s senior anchor and deputy-executive producer Ashutosh had put in his papers to join as the managing editor of Channel7 (to be renamed IBN7), which is part of the TV18 network. It is being said that some other senior TV Today staffers are also likely to quit with new products luring them.
The TV Today scrip, which opened today at Rs 88.60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) had touched a high of Rs 92.85.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
