News Broadcasting
Zee News claims to have usurped Aaj Tak’s ‘Numero Uno’ slot
MUMBAI: The race has begun. Latest, Zee News issued a release claiming that it has elbowed the numero uno Hindi news channel Aaj Tak from its prime position and it is indeed on the top now.
Starting with a quirky ‘Haqeeqat’ beats ‘Sabse Tez’ line, Zee News claims that it has managed to do so because of its ‘differentiating’ coverage and special reports. Quoting the Tam research data for the week ending 18 September, C&S 4+ households, Zee News claims that it has regained the leadership position in news genre.
According to the release, Zee News claims that it tops in the stickiness quotient as the viewers spent maximum time on the channel. Referring to the data, the channel claims that the time-spend on Zee News is 30 minutes (which is 15 per cent more than Aaj Tak’s time-spend), as against 26 minutes on Aaj Tak and 24 minutes on NDTV India.
While, as far as the channel shares go, Zee News claims that it leads with 30 per cent channel share ahead of Aaj Tak’s 28 per cent, NDTV India’s 24 per cent and Star News only four per cent in Delhi. In four Metros, share of Zee News is 22.9 per cent, which is equal to Aaj Tak 22.9 per cent and more than NDTV India’s share 20.4 per cent.
Zee News’ weekly feature Crime File, claims the release, is favourite with viewers as the top programme in news genre and in addition to that four out of the top 10 programmes in news genre are from Zee News.
“The resurgence in Zee News ratings and viewership is a result of dogged pursuit of Haqeeqat and continuous focus on differentiating content,” says Zee Telefilms Ltd Director News Group Laxmi Goyal.
Recent coverage, including one on Venus Transit – Shukra Hai Suraj Hai, exclusive reporting from accident site during the Mastygandha train accident, helped Zee News gain huge leads on its rivals, claims the release.
The breaking news and continuous coverage of Kumbhkonam tragedy, the nation wide debate initiated on capital punishment on hanging of Dhanjay, the exclusive Inside story on call girl rackets and the recent coverage and happy solution of Guriya’s dilemma, claims the release, has helped consolidated Zee News’s position as thought leader.
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.
