News Broadcasting
ZEE Hindustan launches marketing campaign to create brand recognition
Mumbai: Zee Hindustan has launched a prelude for the marketing campaign with 3D model installation of 8feet tall mic in prime locations of Delhi, Lucknow, and Indore such as Nehru place market, Indore Airport and Lucknow. This is also followed by a brand campaign in Delhi across three metro lines, 300 cabs and 500 autos.
The channel has also been running a contest ‘Dekho Zee Hindustan, Jeeto Gold’ as an initiative to create brand recognition, awareness and create product sampling. The four-week contest will require audiences to answer the question and lucky winners will stand a chance to win gold worth Rs 50,000 from the channel.
Being one of the largest news networks in India with a robust reporter strength, ZEE Hindustan addresses the need gap of a channel exclusively focused on delivering national issues news in Hindi. The channel offers specially curated programming that caters beyond politics and debates by including shows on crime, lifestyle, and health.
Zee Media Corporation head of marketing Anindya Khare said, “Within a short span of time ZEE Hindustan has been able to create a distinct identity for itself and thereby amassing viewer preference. This campaign is aimed at engaging with our viewers and gratifying them for their channel loyalty. Our viewership on the digital platforms has also grown exponentially which is a testament to viewers’ trust in the Zee Hindustan brand. We are positive that it will also reflect in the viewership of other mediums”.
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.
