News Broadcasting
WION’s India running budget election edition special coverage of the budget 2024
Mumbai: As the nation eagerly awaits the Union Budget 2024, World Is One News (WION), international news channel, continues to captivate audiences with its India Budget: Election Edition – The Most Comprehensive Coverage, providing viewers with exclusive and comprehensive analysis.
WION’s extended coverage is currently in progress from 5 January through to 4 February 2024, featuring in-depth insights, exclusive interviews, and expert opinions.
Throughout January, the pre-budget programming has been focusing on domestic expectations, decoding the budget, budget fact-O-pedia, technology & plans, what it means for Indian markets & foreign investors, and broad expectations from both domestic and global perspectives.
On ‘Budget Day’ (1 February 2024), WION also looks towards live broadcasts from CII in Delhi with Vikram Chandra, besides providing in-depth news bulletins from the newsroom with expert guests.
This special Union Budget programming coverage encompasses highlights of top announcements, the implications for the broader economy and the world, changes in pricing, and a focus on the effect of the election on the budget.
Speaking on the special budget programming, WION chief business officer, Madhu Soman said, “While we understand this year’s interim budget will be more or less a vote on account with no major policy announcements likely, it doesn’t dilute the significance of the day. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and its stock market became the fourth largest last week. WION will be unspooling the event to the best of our ability so that the nuances of this annual exercise are explained in the simplest of terms to our dedicated viewers across platforms.”
Furthermore, between 1and 4 February the period following the budget, WION will showcase various programs. This will include one to two-minute segments and explanatory content, encompassing budget analysis, insights gleaned from pre-budget coverage, comments from India Inc., analysts, and economists.
The coverage will also feature significant announcements and a strategic preview of the impending elections.
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.
