News Broadcasting
ABP Majha and UNICEF initiate innovative donation drive to support families affected by COVID-19
In the light of the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the ongoing pandemic and related movement restrictions, the Marathi news channel ABP Majha launched a special donation drive initiative today– ‘Be a Vighnaharta’ (Be a Remover of Obstacles).
The initiative, in collaboration with UNICEF, will raise funds through a 16-day TV campaign to support the people affected by the pandemic. The funds raised will be used to support vulnerable families, through UNICEF’s Jeevan Rath initiative (A Relief and Response on Wheels) in the state of Maharashtra. The initiative will bring over 60 public and private NGOs together, to provide supplies of dry ration kits, hygiene kits, conditional cash transfers, and livelihood protection to people who are unable to afford or access these supplies in sufficient quantities.
To contain the pandemic in Maharashtra, all pandals/temples have been advised to maintain social distancing norms, hold limited congregations, and reduce the size of the idols, during the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival. While these measures are critical from a public health perspective, this has ripple effects on the earnings of the craftsmen and other associated small businesses who depend on the annual festival for their livelihood.
ABP Majha will run the campaign from 6th August 2020 to 21st August 2020. The news channel will broadcast 1,350+ minutes of content including stories of people affected by the pandemic, urging viewers to donate and help reach supplies to families affected by the pandemic.
ABP Majha has been bringing the essence of ‘Ganesh Utsav’ on TV, since 2010, with on-air and on-ground coverage on its show ‘Bappa Majha’. The channel garnered top spot in both market share & viewership during the Ganesh Chaturthi period last year in the Marathi news genre. (SOURCE: Period: 2nd Sept 2019-12thSept 2019, TB: 02:00-26:00, Market: Mah/Goa, TG: 15+ ABC).
In 2020, the channel has lined-up special programming for the festive month which includes shows like – Bappa Tumchya Ghari, Majha Vighnaharta, Bappa Majha (Ganapti news bulletin, Pooja, Majha Bappa, Ashtavinayak Yatra), along with telecasting Donation Drive snippets throughout the day. Live broadcasts of morning & evening Aartis (prayers) will also be aired on the news channel, so that viewers can celebrate the festival from home.
On the special donation drive, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, said, “As a responsible network, we are taking up this initiative as a part of our continuous work in community upliftment. We are committed to making available immediate aid to children and families affected by the pandemic ahead of the biggest festival of India's financial capital. Festivals are all about vibrancy and high spirits, and during this time, we want to uplift the lives & spirits of low income groups whose earnings depend on Ganapati celebrations. We hope this effort will help them lead better lives.”
On partnering with ABP Majha, Ms Rajeshwari Chandrasekar, UNICEF Chief of Maharashtra office, said “We are glad to associate with ABP Majha news channel for our initiative ‘Jeevan Rath’ in Maharashtra, running for the last 110 days. The socio-economic cost of the pandemic on the lives of children and their families is extremely high. Through this campaign, we intend to provide relief to the most vulnerable, excluded, and displaced populations in the fight against Covid-19.”
Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment
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.
