News Broadcasting
US viewers prefer cable to broadcast networks
MUMBAI: Most US viewers are not only satisfied with cable programming, they find it more entertaining and original than broadcast programming, according to a study conducted by the E-Poll recently.
E-Poll that provides innovative market research services and access to its US database of people aged 13+, asked as many as 1,023 TV viewers how they compared broadcast programming with cable TV. Most of the respondents came out in favour of cable programming.
Though most US viewers don’t find TV programming objectionable, there may be bigger issues involved here that may be pushing viewers from broadcast TV to cable.
As many as 36 per cent of the respondents described cable programming as “controversial.” Viewers indicated that they wanted content that was different and unique. Words like stale and less appealing were used more often to describe broadcast TV.
Only 17 per cent found that cable was less appealing. More than four in 10 (42 per cent) said the same thing about broadcast TV. As many as 38 per cent of the respondents found cable to be informative versus 29 per cent who went for broadcast. As far as the excitement quotient was concerned, cable had nearly twice the number giving it the nod — 33 per cent versus 18 per cent for broadcast.
On a 1-10 scale with 10 being strongly agree, only 23 per cent strongly agreed that the US federal government needed to create and monitor programming standards.
Only 17 per cent selected the term objectionable to describe cable programming. For broadcast TV, the figure was 19 per cent. It, therefore, appears that government intervention is considered unnecessary and unwanted by the majority of TV viewers.
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.
