News Broadcasting
Times Now announces special programming for assembly elections 2021
MUMBAI: Times Now has announced an unmatched programming line-up for the upcoming assembly elections under Mandate 2021. With its special programming, Times Now, India's election news headquarters will once again be at the forefront of election news coverage tracking the state assembly elections of five states, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry. Through engaging properties, Times Now offers the most extensive coverage of the elections, making it more exciting and captivating for its viewers.
1. Pre-Poll Surveys: Capturing the mood of five states going to the polls (Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry, Assam, Kerala) and the mood of the nation ahead of the critical election, Times Now will broadcast two opinion polls in association with C Voter. C Voter or centre for voting opinions and trends in election research headed by top psephologist Yashwant Deshmukh is a leading international stakeholder research organization with its roots in India. Powered by state-of-the-art research practices, managerial acumen, world class analysts and a phenomenal track record of predictive analysis on various polls, C Voter produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation. Presenting how the elections will likely shape, the surveys will be a significant indicator of which way the electorate may swing. The first of these opinion polls will be telecast on 8 March 2021 and the second opinion poll will on 24 March.The analysis is powered by a panel of experts like Dr Anand Ranganathan, Sanjay Jha, Senior journalists R Rajagopalan, Shekhar Iyer, Sanjeev Shrivastava and Author Chetan Bhagat, among others.
2. Exit Polls: On the last date of polling 29 April, Times Now in association with C Voter will broadcast an exit poll of the states going to the polls. Using state of the art technology and on ground field research the polls maps the stat and the data is then processed to call a projection for a state. The results are a fair indication of how the election has played out with the voters.
3. Result Day Live: On 2 May Times Now will bring result day Live with a new age look at election result analysis. Featuring some of the country's top election analysts & experts, Times Now bring several unique properties that help viewers understand what the voters have told us and why the result has shaped the way it is. Moving away from traditional analysis like swing and vote patterns, Times Now uses big data analytics and mathematical models to bring the viewer a holistic news watching experience. This along with a stellar panel of former journalists and political analysts analyse every move of the election for the viewers.
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.
