News Broadcasting
Feel the impact: Times Now sets new benchmark with the Jaya-Sonia story
In the world of news impact matters. For TIMES NOW impact has been a major differentiator since the day of its launch. And now with Sonia Gandhi resigning from parliament and as chairperson of the National Advisory Council, TIMES NOW has been successfully able to position itself as a channel of impact.
Sonia Gandhi’s resignation is a direct and immediate follow up of the story that TIMES NOW broke on 6th March, the Jaya Bachchan controversy.
The 6th March story was about how the Election Commission had recommended Jaya Bachchan’s removal from parliament from the Rajya Sabha for holding an “office of profit”.
In the next two weeks, TIMES NOW was the only news channel that took the “office of profit” controversy with facts and documents. When Jaya Bachchan heard about TIMES NOW reporting on her imminent disqualification she had said : “I don’t know how this news has been leaked to the media”
TIMES NOW took the story forward, being the only news channel that released details of letters written by Mrs Bachchan and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh to the President. Once again, no other news channel managed to gain access to the documents and only scrambled to get political reactions to the TIMES NOW exclusive.
When asked about his letters to the President, Amar Singh said “You people have excellent sources. You are very powerful. I will keep my trap shut”
Once again on 17th March TIMES NOW set an unbeatable pace by reporting first that the President had accepted Jaya Bachchan’s resignation. This report was aired a full six hours before Rashtrapati Bhavan sent out an official note on the matter, a first of sorts in terms of political reporting.
Sonia Gandhi’s resignation is a direct fallout of the Jaya Bachchan controversy. So was Amar Singh’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha. In a reflection of the growing impact of 24 hour television and setting a new standard for political journalism, the TIMES NOW coverage of the political events leading to Sonia’s resignation has set a new benchmark.
Complimenting the reporter behind the story, Arnab Goswami Editor in Chief of TIMES NOW said ” Our political economy editor Navika Kumar’s coverage of the Jaya Bachchan controversy leading to Sonia Gandhi’s resignation has been absolutely brilliant. Our newsdesk rose to the occasion and we stuck our neck out with unquestionable facts. We’re sure those watching the news space will feel the impact of our news. And Feel The News with us”
Among other stories TIMES NOW has been first and exclusive with are the Shoaib Akhtar chucking controversy, the controversy over Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla, the Daya Nayak interview when Nayak was on the run and the Abu Salem tapes
Warm Regards,
Preeti Juneja
Associate
Genesis Public Relations Pvt Ltd
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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.
