News Broadcasting
Counting Day: CNN-IBN & IBN7 present ‘The Verdict’
MUMBAI: After months of exhaustive campaigning and nine long phases of polling, India is all set for the verdict in the world’s biggest democratic exercise. As the nation inches closer to the Counting Day, CNN-IBN & IBN7 present an extensive day-long programming, ‘A Billion Votes – The Verdict’ & ‘Mera Vote Meri Sarkar – Aap ka Faisla’ respectively, that will bring to the viewers the most credible minute-by-minute coverage of the results of General Elections 2014.
Commencing at 6am in the morning, this special coverage will include the latest trends, seat tally and extensive live coverage from across the country. The programming will also closely keep a track of results and analyse the implications of the same in detail. IBN Network’s formidable team of journalists led by country’s most trusted news anchor Padma Shri Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, along with India’s best political experts will discuss the verdict and provide the most definitive and incisive analysis of the results.
The eminent panel of experts on IBN Network comprises of Swapan Dasgupta, Dr. Ramachandra Guha, Dr. Surjit Bhalla, Manini Chatterjee, Dr. Sandeep Shastri, Kumar Ketkar, Dipankar Gupta, T R Ramachandran, Aakar Patel, Sharat Pradhan, Dr. Shaibal Gupta, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Prof. Rajeeva Karandikar, Sanjay Kumar, Hilal Ahmed, Ajay Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Purushottam Agrawal.
Commenting on this, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, said, “Considered to be the most critical elections in recent times, General Elections 2014 has witnessed voter participation in record numbers. Every Indian is now looking forward to the final results. At IBN Network, our aim is to keep our viewers abreast of the latest and provide them with the most definitive Counting Day coverage – for indeed these results will determine the future of India.”
Do not miss this special programming on CNN-IBN & IBN7 on May 16, 2014, all day, 6 am onwards.
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.
