News Broadcasting
TIMES NOW launches ‘Confront’ with Rahul Shivshankar
MUMBAI: TIMES NOW, India’s leading English news channel from Times Network has launched a special programme, ‘Confront’ with Rahul Shivshankar, Editor-in-Chief, TIMES NOW.
TIMES NOW continues to raise the bar of television news in the country with its innovative journalism. Moderated by Rahul Shivshankar, ‘Confront’, the one-hour weekend show features two prominent panellists debate social and political on topics including State issues, economy, elections, etc., with a conclusive end to the discourse.
Moving away from the contentious debates where panellists often talk at each other rather than talk to each other, Rahul Shivshankar conducts the well-researched debate with decorum, focused to provide the viewers with clear, insightful information. Two weeks since its premier, the show has featured notable figures – Jay Panda, Former Member of Parliament, Yogendra Yadav, National President, Swaraj India, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Politician and Kanwal Sibal, Former Foreign Secretary. This week’s episode of ‘Confront’ on Saturday, August 25, will feature Mukul Rohtagi, Former Attorney General of India and Mohan Parasaran, Former Solicitor General of India as the panellists, where they will discuss claims that the NDA is meddling in Judicial affairs.
Speaking on the new new show, Rahul Shivshankar, Editor-in-Chief, TIMES NOW said, “Confront is launched with a clear objective to provide conclusive facts and information out of the confronting conversations. The show breaks away from the typical debate formats, which leave little room for conversations, where the viewers are left with no answers to the burning social issues. Through this show, we aim to provide uninterrupted, transparent and healthy discussions to burning issues that need to be addressed on priority”.
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.
