News Broadcasting
Zee News Ltd misses regional GECs, Q4 net shrinks to Rs 28 mn
MUMBAI: Zee News Limited (ZNL) has posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 28.2 million for the quarter ended 31 March, a 56.9 per cent fall from the year-ago period, as it has learnt to live without its six regional general entertainment channels since 1 January.
The channels – Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Talkies, Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada and Zee Cinemalu – have now been demerged from ZNL and merged into Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel). ZNL now operates Zee News, Zee Business, Zee Punjabi, Zee 24 Taas and Zee Tamil.
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ZNL’s total consolidated revenues for the three-month period stood at Rs 600.6 million compared to Rs 1.38 billion a year ago
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Meanwhile, expenses also came down to Rs 561.8 million from Rs 1.18 billion a year ago.
ZNL chairman Subhash Chandra said, “Zee News Ltd is all set to embark on a new and promising trajectory after the demerger of the company was formally concluded. Our aim is to consolidate our commanding position in the news genre and spread out our wings even further in the regional and national arena. The company is uniquely poised to accrue benefits from the synergies possible from such an arrangement. Resources from across the spectrum of channels will be pooled together and shared, giving us an edge over competition and also immense cost benefits.”
ZNL CEO Barun Das added, “The demerger will throw up some exciting opportunities as we go ahead. We had leveraged the low cost entry opportunity during the economic recession and are now well placed to grow from here.”
The company also announced that Zee Akaash News Private Limited – a subsidiary, where ZNL holds 60 per cent stake and operates Bengali news channel 24 Ghanta – has made an operating profit of Rs 50.11 million for the year ended 31 March 2010.
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.
