News Broadcasting
Walters calls it a day on ABC’s ’20/20′ after 25 years
MUMBAI: This is a big moment in the annals of American television. Anchor Barbara Walters who has done memorable interviews on ABC’s 20/20 with the likes of Monica Lewinsky, Cuban President Fidel Castro, actor Christopher Reeve after his riding accident is stepping down as the show’s host after 25 years.
A report in eonline indicates that from September she will cut back on her work schedule to six news specials a year for ABC News. This will include her annual Oscar special.
Walters issued a statement saying that the decision had been taken as she was looking for a greater degree of flexibility in her life. The report adds that her March 1999 interview with Lewinsky attracted 48.5 million viewers. An AP report stated that 20/20 is often done with a soft-focus camera and features teary subjects.
Walters was concerned about the fact that people were more interested in seeing celebrities and people from the showbiz arena. She once told the New York Times, “We did Castro and it was a huge interview. But we did much better in the ratings with Courteney Cox and David Arquette.”
In 1990 Walters was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame. The 74 year old has been in front of the cameras since 1963 when she became the co-host of NBC’s Today Show.
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.
