News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 Rejigs its Evening Prime Time Line-Up
In line with its commitment to push the envelope to bring differentiated content and formats for its viewers, CNN-News18 has revamped its prime time line-up starting 6th February 2018. The channel has launched two new shows – Bottom Line at 6:30PM anchored by Kishore Ajwani, one of the most well-known face of Hindi news and The Big Debate at 7PM anchored by Deputy Executive Editor, Sanket Upadhyay.
Bottom Line is a show in the language of every day conversation and features stories that are of direct relevance and interest to viewers with a unique presentation style. The Big Debate is a high octane debate based show with focus on issues that attract strong views.
In addition to the above, the channel has also re-slotted some of its existing shows. India 360 anchored by Arunoday Mukharji will now air at 7:30PM. Face-Off Tonight anchored by Deputy Executive Editor, Zakka Jacob will telecast at 8PM. Viewpoint anchored by Executive Editor, Bhupendra Chaubey will air at 9PM. Epicentre At 7 has been converted into 2 shows with 2 different names and moved to the 10PM slot. While the 10PM show titled News Epicentre is anchored by Political Editor Marya Shakil, the 10:30PM show titled Epicentre Plus is hosted by Senior Editor Shreya Dhoundial. The objective is to provide fresh energy and momentum to the channel’s programming with insightful commentary, engaging insights and spirited debates.
Building on the channel’s ideology of ‘On Your Side’, the shows not only incorporate viewers’ views but also focus on the discourse that effects them the most. With an innovative approach to news telling and greater audience engagement, the shows set the bar in terms of substantive debates and discussions which form the mainstay of prime time news television.
Talking about the refreshed content, CNN-News18, Managing Editor, Radhakrishnan Nair said,” We have always taken the lead in setting new benchmarks in the industry. While we continue to raise quality of news when it comes to debates and in-studio discussions, we would be focusing more on issues and inspirational stories which are closer to the viewers’ heart as we believe they have the largest stake in the news media.”
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.
