News Broadcasting
TV Today’s distribution head Amitabh Srivastava Disney bound
NEW DELHI: TV Today distribution and network development head Amitabh Srivastava has finally quit and is set to join Disney India.
According to TV Today sources, the company has accepted Srivastava’s resignation, which was sent last week.
Interestingly, Srivastava had put in his resignation earlier this year in February too but it was not accepted, following which, he had withdrawn the same.
The Aroon Purie-controlled TV Today is the parent company for news channel leader Aaj Tak and its English sibling, Headlines Today. Though TV Today sources confirmed the development, company’s official spokesperson was not available for comments. TV Today CEO G Krishnan too is said to be out of Delhi and was not available for a reaction.
Quizzed on the issue, Walt Disney Television International (India) head of marketing and communication Hema Govindan told indiantelevision.com, “We don’t comment on speculations.”
Though Disney India has got most of its senior executives in place now, a national distribution and network development head has not been announced yet. In a fragmented and complex cable TV market, which is witnessing action in the kids channel segment with several launches this year, Disney India would be needing an experienced and aggressive distribution head to gain momentum
Srivastava has worked in several media companies, including BBC World’s Indian operation. He was part of the core team at TV Today, which helped in launching first Aaj Tak and then Headlines Today.
Like last time, rumours about Srivastava’s departure had been doing the rounds of the industry from the date Disney launched two channels in India. He is likely to take up his fresh assignment sometime next month. At the moment, he is on a month’s notice period.
With Srivastava’s imminent departure — earlier this year he had, reportedly, negotiated with Rajat Sharma’s India TV too — TV Today seems to be experiencing a round of desertions as some other colleagues of his from the distribution team are said to have quit in the recent past.
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.
