News Broadcasting
Zee Hindustan turns anchor-less
MUMBAI: The Zee Media Corporation Ltd, part of the Essel Group, today took a path-breaking step in television journalism by formally making its Hindi news channel Zee Hindustan anchor-less.
Rajya Sabha MP and founder of Zee Dr Subhash Chandra said, “The anchors who appear on news channels often appear to give colour to a particular story. The viewers who really want to follow, or just know about the news are left with no choice but to watch that anchor. We at Zee sensed this urgency and decided to come up with an alternative which will just give news, without any views. And this is how Zee Hindustan was born.” Camera never lies, and with this new channel, the story will speak for itself and the viewers will get the correct news stories, he added.
He also said, “Since the inception of television news in the country, nobody has thought about giving the viewers a channel which can serve this basic purpose. Zee Hindustan fills that void.”
ZMCL managing director Ashok Venkatramani said, “The country is heading towards the biggest election battle. In a forced opinionated environment, Zee Hindustan will definitely break the clutter and create a niche for itself amongst viewers. The news in purest form and variety of content will put the channel apart from others”.
ZMCL editor in chief Purushottam Vaishnav said, “It has been a strenuous two-month-long journey for all of us and my team did a commendable job in launching this channel in such a brief time. Zee Hindustan will give you news, without any views.”
Zee Hindustan is a 24-hour Hindi TV news channel and a part of Zee Media Corporation Ltd. It was launched in May 2017 with the motto 'States Make The Nation'.
“This was the day 91 years back when my great grandfather founded the firm, which is today's Essel,” Dr Chandra had tweeted on the channel's launch.
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.
