News Broadcasting
TV5 to spawn business news channel TV5 Money
MUMBAI: Telugu news channel TV5, promoted by Shreya Broadcasting, has around 290 reporters covering the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,and delivering hourly news bulletins and 30 special bulletins. It has, however, gained a reputation for its incisive business reportage and programming.
Now the management led by MD B Ravindranath is spawning a digital baby exploiting TV5’s business specialisation USP. Called TV5 Money, it will make its debut as a channel on Youtube, as an app, a website and on IPTV platforms on 3 August and it will be focused on business and lifestyle news.
The new service is being steered by TV5 business head Vasanth Kumar and a separate editorial team – from that employed by the mother news channel – has been put in place. TV5 Money will deliver real time financial market coverage, business news, commodities trends and life style content, says Kumar. The management claims that it will provide unbiased, in-depth investment analysis and assist investors on mutual funds, insurance products, derivatives and commodities trading.
The test signal was started in an informal programme on 29 July by Ravindranath.
Kumar points out that it was the success of TV5’s business news programming voices that encouraged the company to consider launching a separate business news channel. But the management decided to take dainty steps initially in the digital domain. He, however, is sanguine that channel’s market research expertise will make viewers’ journey into the complex financial markets easy.
Ravindranath too is confident that TV5 Money will gain traction quickly with viewers. “TV5 commenced operations in 2007,” he says. “But it very quickly positioned itself on top of the ladder in the regional broadcast news industry. It is known for its unique regional content, unbiased attitude and exceptional coverage of state, national and international news, making it Telangana and Andhra’s leading Telugu news and current affairs channel.”
Shreya Broadcasting chairman BR Naidu believes that its track record and team which will stream out non-stop coverage are sure to contribute significantly to the overall rise of regional broadcast news. “Telugu viewers from the smallest part of India nationally will be attracted to it,” he says.
A view that is echoed by a media analyst. Says she: “First of all Andhra and Telangana are very broadband friendly thanks to the strong IT focus the government has set out. Because of this, it should find a online audiences tuning in, especially in offices where broadband pipes are pretty thick. Then, the Telugu speaking populace is very industrious and they have seen an upgradation of their lifestyles over the years as the economy there has progressed. They want to know where to invest their money, and TV5 Money could help give them perspectives and opinions. By launching as a live streaming service, the company is cutting short its time to market and also keeping distribution and other costs low. But it will have to give it an extensive social media and digital marketing push to capture eyeballs quickly.”
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.
