News Broadcasting
‘Budget of Hope’ on CNN-IBN
MUMBAI: After achieving a historic mandate in General Elections 2014, the biggest challenge now for the newly elected Government is to present a growth oriented Budget for the people of India. As the nation eagerly awaits Union Budget 2014, CNN-IBN, brings to its viewers an extensive line-up of budget programming – ‘Budget of Hope.’
The channel has already kick started its programming with a segment ‘If I were FM’ which captures suggestions from common citizens for the Finance Minister. This will be followed by ‘Budget Yatra’ – a special show led by CNN-IBN Business Editor, Karma Paljor, wherein the issues and challenges facing the economy will be analysed on ground from key locations across the country. Additionally, we will also capture the expectation of and suggestions from corporates and policymakers in our segment ‘Budget Expectations.’ Of course on the day of the Rail Budget, Economic Survey and the Union Budget will bring together the most extensive and incisive rolling coverage of the key policy announcements and developments analysed by our unmatched panel of anchors and experts. Special shows such as Budget and You – detailing the impact of the budget on the common man/woman, Rate The Budget, the Finance Minister’s Interview and CNN-IBN’s award-winning initiative ‘Axe the Tax’ – which lists out specific recommendations for the FM to rationalize the tax regime – will also form an integral part of the unmatched array of shows on Budget 2014 that will be aired on CNN-IBN.
Speaking on the special programming, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN Network, said “Expectations from Budget 2014 are very high. There are several economic challenges that the country is currently facing and the Budget is expected to address these. CNN-IBN will closely track these key issues in the run up to the Budget. Our focus will be on ensuring that the common Indian gets to participate in the discourse on the Budget, and on deconstructing and simplifying the impact that the Budget will have on them.”
Don’t forget to watch “Budget Yatra” starting from Friday, June 20th @ 10 PM & Saturday @ 5.30 PM only on CNN-IBN.
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.
