News Broadcasting
CNBC awaaz’s Peheredaar now in a changed avatar
MUMBAI: In today’s world, consumerism is seasoned in every aspect of modern life. Corporate and brands have to adapt to this new reality where consumer is really the king. CNBC AWAAZ is changing the avatar of their very popular program ‘Pehredaar’, which has over the years given a new impetus to consumer activism.
Pehredaar to start the new season and will be joined by 3 main regulators of the country who have been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that consumers should not be taken for a ride. The show will be joined by Competition Commission of India’s Chairman Mr. Ashok Chawala, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s Chairman Mr. Rahul Khullar and Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor Mr. K C Chakrabarty.
The objective is to reach a conclusion about the consumer’s well-being and what more is needed to be done in the country, to ensure a fair play in the crowded marketplace. Pehredaar will set an Agenda for an empowered consumer.
Commenting on the re-launch, Sanjay Pugalia, Editor-in-chief, CNBC AWAAZ said “A show like Pehredaar has gained widespread acceptance in its very successful existence till date. It is a unique offering in the consumer grievance space. It gives us a great sense of fulfillment and pride to re-launch it in a strong new avatar. Pehredaar now will see the show much sharper, to represent consumer rights better- which is what our country needs with consumer protection and representation going through an identity crisis of sorts.”
Priyanka Sambhav, Anchor, Pehredaar said “We realized that companies operating here are taking the consumers for a ride. With Pehredaar, we set out to change this imbalance and ensured that consumers’ voice is heard and issues they face get resolved. With the new innings we intend to take Pehredaar to the next level with expanding the reach and making it more effective.”
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.
