News Broadcasting
Esha Media Research to go the TAM way
KOLKATA: Esha Media Research, a media monitoring and research company, which currently monitors 140 channels, across the nation in all languages is looking at expanding its services. The company has plans to foray into giving out television rating points (TRP) data soon, like Television Audience Measurement (TAM).
The company, for accurate data, is looking at installing around one lakh peoplemeters, which will be attached to the TV sets in different geographical and demographic sectors.
Also, a venture capitalist (VC) may infuse around Rs 10 crore into Esha Media as it aims at increasing its reach.
“We are working on the TRP project from last six months. We are waiting for the new government to settle,” Esha Media Research managing director RS Iyer told indiantelevision.com.
TRP gives an index of the choice of the people and also the popularity of a particular channel and show. The device, peoplemeter, records the time and the programme that a viewer watches on a particular day. Then, the average is taken for a 30 day period which gives the viewership status for a particular channel.
Iyer talking about the current TV programmes rating system said that at present for the calculation purpose, many states, especially the north eastern region is not covered. “We will install the device in tier III and IV cities as well,” he added.
As earlier reported by indiantelevision.com, Esha Media, which currently monitors News channels is also looking at foraying into entertainment genre channels and other new verticals. “We will use the fund pumped by VCs,” informed Iyer.
The company also has plans to take its channel monitoring number to 200, from the current 140 channels, in the next two months.
At present the monitoring of channels is done using state of- the-art equipment that allows the agency to record, retrieve, transcribe, translate and deliver reports in formats ranging from CD and DVD to immediate uploads via FTP or a customised web page. “This enables the client to log in and access news of their interest, anytime and anywhere,” he concluded.
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.
