News Broadcasting
ABP News brings special programming line-up for Bihar Elections
As political parties gear up for an intense electoral contest in the state of Bihar, ABP News has announced an extensive programming line-up for the upcoming assembly elections, to keep the viewers apprised about every single development of the state, and its leaders.
Even amid the pandemic, the fever of Bihar assembly elections is high, which are slated to be held in October-November. With rallies and large gatherings being out of bounds this year, digital campaigns and television coverage will play a key role in this year’s political battle. Keeping this in mind, ABP News has launched special programming under the purview of its iconic property, ‘Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri’, to keep the viewers engaged & informed throughout the election season.
With a commitment to bring the most incisive reporting, ‘Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri’ will keep the viewers engrossed through a special conclave, Shikhar Sammelan and a multitude of shows like Bihar Yatra, Gajab ho Bihar ke Lala, Bihar ke Bahubali, and Bihar: Vaar x Palatvar.
The channel will hold two editions of its flagship conclave, Shikhar Sammelan, which will not only have top political leaders, but also eminent personalities from Bihar to deliberate on the upcoming elections and other associated issues. A new show called Bihar Yatra, will also be making its way on the viewers’ TV screens – the daily travelogue-cum-ground reporting show, will capture the ground reality of the Bihar elections. A one-on-one interview series called Gajab ho Bihar ke Lala will involve interactions and profiling of political and non-political heavy-weights of Bihar involved in the elections. Another unique feature show, Bihar ke Bahubali will be hosted by a celebrity from Bihar, wherein he/she will narrate the life-story of infamous political Bahubalis of the state. A debate show series exclusively on Bihar elections called Bihar: Vaar x Palatvar will bring to the fore, the key political faces of Bihar on a panel discussion. The same panel will feature predominantly throughout the entire programming on Bihar elections, hosting insightful discussions.
Furthermore, along with research partner CVoter, ABP News will present an Opinion Poll and Exit Poll to the viewers, based on the trends and projections of the Bihar Elections.
Lastly, apart from a show-stopping line-up on television, the channel will also be tremendously active on the digital medium, to present extensive & exclusive coverage of Bihar elections on ABP Live and ABP News’ Social Media Platforms.
On this these offerings, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network said, “With this brand new content line-up for Bihar elections, our goal is to provide an unmatched coverage, continuing our legacy of presenting the most accurate and credible election results. Keeping our viewers at the very core of our content offerings, we want to inform & empower them with informative, interactive, and in-depth coverage along with insightful deliberations, story-telling, and interviews. ABP News had always remained an undisputed leader on big news days, and we hope our viewers will continue to cherish our new offerings.”
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.
