News Broadcasting
CNN-IBN & IBN7 are back with Kings & Queens
MUMBAI: Living up to its legacy of offering the most extensive and diverse election programming line-up in the industry, CNN-IBN & IBN7 are back with ‘Kings & Queens’. The show will profile key political leaders such as Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi to name a few, who are likely to play a central and defining role in the 2014 General Elections.
Fronted by IBN Network’s senior-most and best known anchors-Deputy Editor Sagarika Ghose, National Bureau Chief Bhupendra Chaubey, Deputy Foreign Editor Suhasini Haidar and Senior Editor Anubha Bhosle, ‘Kings & Queens’ will examine the life and political careers of these key individuals, and will examine how they could emerge as a King or a Queen or be a King-maker. The documentaries will include people who are significant in their lives-their classmates, close relatives, mentors, friends, strongest allies as well as critics.
Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 & IBN-Lokmat, said, “As we approach the most crucial elections in the history of India, we have a diverse and extensive election based programming in the pipeline. To help our viewers know their leaders better, we bring to you our much acclaimed documentary series Kings and Queens, which will trace the journey of political leaders who are set to influence the upcoming General Election significantly.”
Don’t miss this special documentary series starting from 28th February, every Friday 10.00 PM only on CNN-IBN & 1st March onwards every Saturday 10.30 PM only on IBN7.
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.
