News Broadcasting
Vishal Verma is American Desi network CEO
MUMBAI: American Desi, which claims to be the first and only 24-hour English language American television network for South Asians living in the US has announced the appointment of senior management, advisors and on-air talent.
Togther they have over 125 years of relevant experience at such media companies as ABC, NBC, ESPN, Fox PAX-TV.
Vimal Verma is the broadcaster’s chairman and CEO. He used to be with American Express; Rickey Gaffney ias its programming senior VP. He was previously with ABC and ESPN.
American Desi was officially was unveiled with EchoStar Communications Corporation’s Dish Network satellite TV service. It caters to the millions of American residents who hail from India, Pakistan and other culturally similar South Asian backgrounds — one of the fastest-growing and wealthiest population segment in the US.
American Desi also unveiled several featured on-air talent appointees. They include Divya Ohri who will serve as production VP. Ohri becomes American Desi’s senior VP and host of American Desi: Prime Time Live, the flagship show of the network. She will also host Bollywood Fix and co-host of Points of View.
Verma said, “We are extremely proud of the unprecedented and unparalleled team we have assembled both behind and in front of the camera. Never before has such a senior assemblage of Western and South Asian executives and on-air talent been assembled to launch a comprehensive media venture for the Desi community.”
American Desi is a New Jersey-based company. The network claims to be available to more than ten million households through an agreement with EchoStar’s Dish Network satellite television service.
The network’s programming slate includes morning and evening news, movies, sports, magazine shows, late night comedy blocks and issues-based, interactive audience participation programmes that make use of in-person, telephone and computer technologies.
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.
