News Broadcasting
Zee Media hires Aditya Tandon as chief brand officer
MUMBAI: Zee Media has picked Aditya Tandon as its new chief brand officer for campaigns & intellectual properties, effective 15 January 2025. The decision follows a recommendation from the company’s nomination and remuneration committee. Zee Media informed the Bombay stock exchange about his hiring as he is classified amongst the senior management personnel in the company.
Aditya brings over 25 years of extensive experience in marketing and brand management across multiple regions, including India, Nepal, Mauritius, and Canada. His career spans various industries, including media, telecom, and web services. He is recognised for his proficiency in brand building and has effectively executed numerous launch and re-launch initiatives. His innovative strategies often include technological and digital interventions, contributing to impactful marketing campaigns.
Throughout his career, Aditya has received over 100 awards at prestigious forums like the Asian Television Awards and Promax for his communication and promotional efforts. He has also served as a speaker at various industry platforms, sharing his insights on brand strategy and marketing trends.
Aditya holds a bachelor of arts (Hons) from Delhi University, a postgraduate diploma in international marketing from the Delhi School of Economics, and a master’s degree in management studies from Carleton University, Canada.
Prior to this role, he served as vice-president of brand marketing at Network18 Media & Investments, where he was responsible for marketing the company’s Hindi news cluster, significantly boosting brand performance post re-launches. His notable contributions include the rebranding of CNN-News18 and several award-winning campaigns that have established him as a leading figure in the marketing domain.
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.
