News Broadcasting
Zee 24 Taas repositions itself as youth centric
MUMBAI: It is not just politicians who are looking to grab the attention of India’s large young population. News channels too are reorienting their programming to enhance receptivity among the younger lot.
A few months ago, Zee Media Corporation’s (ZMCL) national Hindi news channel Zee News introduced its campaign ‘Ab Khabar Aapke Rangon Mein’ targeting the Gen Y of the country. Now, it’s the turn of Zee Media’s Marathi news channel Zee 24 Taas.
Starting today, the channel is on air with a complete makeover to its look, feel and positioning as well. With an improved tagline ‘Raha ek paul pudhe’ (stay one step ahead), Zee 24 Taas is repositioning itself to suit an audience of 15 to 45 years as compared to its earlier target group of 25 to 45 years.
Nearly half of India’s population is in the age group of 15 to 45 years. ZMCL CEO Alok Agrawal says, “With the advent of digitations, researches have shown that viewers are setting up new priorities; therefore it has become imperative to refurbish the brand. Backed by Zee Media Corporation Limited’s core philosophy to innovate in order to stay ahead, the new look of Zee 24 Taas is a step in the right direction. We are confident that the new identity will be applauded by the viewer which is rich in content and vibrant in look.”
“The positioning is ‘action oriented’ because that is what the youth is interested in today. Rather than focusing on long news and discussions, we are keeping it short with more visuals. The youth wants to know how the news will benefit them in their lives,” says Zee 24 Taas business head Bhushan Khot.
Over the weekend, a series of programs under the tagline will be introduced to help youngsters know about how to move up in life. An election show began last week called Whats Up India to understand the younger generation’s perspective. Major colleges in Maharashtra are being visited for the show.
There is increased competition among news channels. News consumption in Maharashtra also happens in English and Hindi. “Today our competition is not just restricted to Marathi language (news channels) but the overall news genre. Our aim is to make the entire channel strong onscreen as well as digital and at the same time reflect the aspirations of the young Marathi audience,” says Khot.
Additionally, viewers can also catch Zee 24 Taas live on their mobile phones via Android, iOS and Blackberry apps through Ditto TV. Zee 24 Taas will later become a subscription services, after initial free preview for a month.
Zee 24 Taas has refurbished its studio and a stylist has been hired to give new looks to its anchors in addition to requisite training. The online and offline graphics have also been modified by an inhouse team. Zee 24 Taas editor-in-chief Uday Nirgudkar says, “We are re-launching the channel to fine tune our self to reflect on the changing needs of viewers. We have always been viewer focused & viewer centric hence our new offering will be more qualitative and focused.”
“We are trying to tell the audience that the language is Marathi but its look and feel is at par with any other channel,” adds Khot. The language the anchors use will also undergo a slight change with shorter sentences being the goal.
The marketing campaign to promote the new look will break across the state on 6 February, with print and outdoor and followed up on radio and TV next week.
Print ads will be visible in the newspapers DNA , Loksatta, Mumbai Times, Lokmat, Sakaal and others. On the digital front, banners and text ads will be seen on Google display network sites and Facebook.
The promotional jingle for TV and radio has been composed by noted Marathi singer and writer Saleel Kulkarni. The 20-day long campaign created by Draftfcb Ulka will see about 150 outdoor spots being adorned, with most of them being bus shelters, bus panels and hoardings in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. The radio jingle will run across Radio City 91.1 FM, Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, Red FM 93.5 and Big 92.7 FM.
Sources say the cost of the entire rebranding exercise would be approximately Rs 15 million with nearly 80 per cent of it being spent on marketing itself.
For the third quarter ended 31 December 2013, the channel had a viewership of 21.3 million (Source: TAM, CS 4+, All India, Q3 Average Monthly Reach).
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.
