News Broadcasting
Zee News targets Gen Y
MUMBAI: ZMCL’s (ZEE Media Corporation Ltd) main Hindi news channel Zee News is targeting the youth demographic.
For starters, the management has given the channel and programming packaging a total makeover with bright and peppy colours being added. Fresh, zingy promos have been hitting the airwaves as part of a campaign titled ‘Khabrein apke rangon mein’ which tries to drive home the point “that news is never black and white, there are several hues to it.”
For some time now, the channel has been pitching that the Indian youth need to change their thinking to change the nation (soch badlo desh badlo). And this new campaign is another effort on the part of Zee News to lure the fickle but curious youth to tune in to its daily bulletins.
Says ZMCL CEO Alok Agrawal: “The aim is to be their eyes, ears, and conscience. The channel will be in tandem with their world, in sync with their energy. With ‘Khabrein Apke Rangon Mein’, we will interact with them, touch their life and wear their pride. We aim to empower, influence and impact the opinion of this youthful and vibrant India.”
“In today’s scenario the youth is interested in what is happening nationally and globally,” says ZMCL editor Sudhir Chaudhary. “Our efforts will be to reach and connect with the viewers, especially youth and provide them with news that is contemporary, vibrant and topical.”
Many have tried but few have succeeded in hooking the quickly evolving young viewer – for too long. Will Zee News’ fresh push yield results?
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.
