REPORT: NEWS CHANNELS

TOP ENGLISH NEWS CHANNEL & THEIR FINANCIAL RESURGENCE

NEWS is where the major action has been in the pandemic era. Despite the controversies galore, the news channels have held on steady in terms of the advertising revenues in the Covid era. We take a look at the leading news channel and how their numbers stacked up.

NDTV state monopoly and transitioned into management of a number of broadcast New Television the first independent news network in channels including the lifestyle Ltd (commonly abbreviated as NDTV) . The company launched the first channel NDTV Good Times, the is an Indian news media company 24x7 news channel in partnership infotainment channel and focusing on broadcast and digital news with in 1998. the news channel Independent publication. The company is Between 1998 and 2003, NDTV Television through various joint considered to be a legacy brand that was in an exclusive agreement with Star ventures. pioneered independent news India to produce all its news segment. NDTV Revenue in India, and is News broadcaster NDTV's credited for launching the consolidated revenue from operations first 24x7 news channel and the for the quarter ended 31st December is first lifestyle channel in the ` 105.83 crore compared to ` 93.67 crore country. It owns and operates in the same period last year. the broadcast news channels Total expenses stood at ` 82.4 of NDTV India and NDTV 24x7. crore compared to ` 85.03 crore a year The two channels of the ago. company have received 32 Ramnath In 2003, the company became an The company said that it has Goenka Excellence in Journalism independent broadcasting network delivered the best third quarter results Awards. with the simultaneous launch of the in the last 11 years with a net profit of NDTV was founded in 1984, by and English language news ` 22.69 crore compared to ` 12.13 crore. the journalist and the channels known as NDTV India and The company posted an economist , a husband and NDTV 24x7. It also launched a business operating profit of ` 32.64 crore from wife duo from the city of in the news channel NDTV Profit which was the television media and related state of . It began as a later converted into an information and operations segment compared to ` 19.09 production house for news segments channel NDTV Prime. crore. for the public broadcaster The company has had business Revenue from the segment was and international satellite channels interests in general entertainment and ` 105.83 crore compared to ` 92.23 when television broadcasting was a e-commerce, and is part of the crore.

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The company reported nil owned by Network 18 and ` 52 crore in the corresponding period revenue from the e-commerce/retail WarnerMedia. CNN provides the previous year. segment. international coverage for the channel, "Rise in the ranking of our On a standalone basis, NDTV's while Indian Broadcasting Network flagship entertainment channel and revenue from operations stood at ` concentrates on Indian and local upsurge in news consumption helped 56.37 crore compared to ` 55.35 crore. reports. the group post growth in ad-revenues The company’s expenses In May 2014, Reliance in the quarter, even as advertising was were ` 51.56 crore compared to ` 51.85 Industries announced it would be severely impacted during late-Q4 due crore. taking over Network18. The move was to the COVID-19 related lockdown," the Net profit increased to ` 10.53 touted as "the biggest-ever deal in the company said. crore compared to ` 6.66 crore. Indian media space". Reliance TV18 Broadcast said its profit According to NDTV, this is the Industries already had indirect control for the financial year 2019-20 surged company's best quarterly result in the of the TV18 network by virtue of 98.57% to ` 417 crore and revenue grew last eight years. investments it made in Network18 by 5% to ` 5,175 crore compared to the NDTV Convergence, the starting from January 2012. previous year. company's digital arm, has marked its The full-year best quarter ever with a profit of more operating EBITDA than ` 10 crore; its revenue has stood at ` 703 crore, increased by 32% over the same quarter growing 124% over last year. ` 314 crore reported in Despite the business the previous fiscal. challenges thrown up by the pandemic, TV18 said the the company has so far in this financial benefits of a year reduced its bank borrowings by ` transparent and non-discriminatory CNN NEWS18 Revenue 27 crore. B2C regime created by the TV18 Broadcast, a subsidiary of “NDTV thanks every member of implementation of the NTO (New Tariff Network18, has registered a 373.33% its team for ensuring quality news was Order) in Q4FY19 continued to accrue year-on-year growth in Q4FY20 delivered to its vast audience despite for the entire FY20. consolidated profit due to strong the many impediments presented by the Distribution improvements revenue and operating EBITDA. Coronavirus outbreak. Its reporters and through tie-ups with cable and telecom The profit for the quarter stood crews have travelled all over the platforms boosted the reach and at ` 142 crore, up from ` 30 crore in the country to share the most credible and enlarged the value-proposition of same period last year. latest information on how India is channel brands across a varied cross- Controls on operating handling the pandemic,” the company section of viewers, it added. expenses and subscription revenue said in a statement. TV18's Q4 average viewership growth more than filled in for the It further stated that the share in news was 10.5%, up from 10.2% decline in advertising helped the management is aware that the financial in Q3; while TV18 group's Q4 news business remain profitable, the challenges of an economic slowdown entertainment viewership share was company said. continue to linger, with advertising yet 9.9% in Q4 versus 10.1% in the last Revenue from operations to recover to pre-Covid levels; it is quarter. grew by 21% year-on-year to ` 1,425 focused on mitigating any risk The contribution of crore in the quarter ended March presented by this for the next few subscription to the revenue mix has 2020, the company said in its BSE quarters. increased to 35% in FY20 from 26% in filing. Linear TV subscription revenue FY19, the company said. growth was at 41% in Q4 and B2C CNN NEWS18 annuity nature provided solidity, it CNN-News18 (originally CNN- added. INDIA TODAY TV IBN) is an -language Its operating earnings before India Today (formerly news television channel founded interest, tax, depreciation and Headlines Today) is a 24-hour by located in Noida, amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter English language television network , India. It is currently shot up 365% to ` 240 crore against based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh that

BROADCAST AND FILM29 MARCH - APRIL 2021 REPORT: NEWS CHANNELS carries news, current affairs and Income from others stood at channel in India in its first week of business programming in India. The ` 27.55 crore in the current quarter airing in May 2017 with 21.1 lakh (2.11 channel is owned by TV Today under review versus ` 27.97 crore in million) impressions and accounted for Network Ltd, which is a part of Living the same quarter of last year. 51.9 per cent viewership as per data Media. released for the week by the BARC. The Financial Express noted Republic The channel was launched in REPUBLIC TV 2003 as a sister channel of the Hindi Aaj TV to be the most-watched English Tak news channel. It is one of the four Republic TV is a free-to-air news channel in India for 100 weeks in news channels from the TV Today news channel launched in May 2017. a row since its founding. The top news Network stable, the others being Aaj It was co-founded by Arnab channel spot was taken over by DD Tak, Tez and Delhi . Alok Verma Goswami and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India, a public service broadcaster, in was brought in as the Executive before the latter relinquished his stake February 2019, according to the Indian Producer to successfully launch TV in May 2019, leaving Goswami as the newspaper . Today group's foray into the English majority stakeholder. Chandrasekhar news channel category. was an independent legislator from Republic TV Revenue the National Democratic Alliance who The free-to-air (FTA) channel India Today Revenue later joined the Bharatiya Janata has been launched with 19 strategic TV Today Network Limited, Party and Goswami was the former partners, with a commitment of spent which runs news channels Aaj Tak, editor-in-chief of . The of Rs 100 crore. “We are a cash positive India Today TV and Tez, and FM venture was funded primarily by company, with very less debt on our radio station Ishq FM, posted a net Chandrashekhar through his books. Also one of the reasons we have profit of ` 12.77 crore in Q1FY21, company . been able to launch the second channel down 75% from ` 51 crore in the within 19 months of corresponding quarter of the rolling out the first one, previous year. is that our delivery to The company’s total revenue advertisers is highest. for the quarter ending June 30, 2020, We ensure a good return- stood at ` 175 crore, down 32% from ` on-investment,” Vikas 260 crore in Q1FY20. Khanchandani, group CEO, Republic Republic TV was funded in The television broadcasting Media Network, said. part by Asianet (ARG Outlier Asianet business continued to contribute ARG Outliner Media Asianet with more than 82% to the total News Private Limited), which was primarily owned by Rajeev News Pvt Ltd, the holding form of revenue from operations of the Republic Media Network, narrowed company. The revenue from Chandrasekhar, a then-independent member of who had its net loss to ` 77 lakh, for the year television operations stood at ` ended March 2018, according to 137.79 crore, down 18% from ` 167.7 political links with (BJP) and was vice-chairman of financial data accessed by business crore in the same quarter last year. intelligence platform, Tofler. The The radio broadcasting the National Democratic Alliance in Kerala. Among other major investors news network posted a net loss of ` business earned a total revenue of ` 23 6.9 crore in FY17. Total revenue rose lakh in Q1FY21 compared with ` 3.78 were Goswami himself, his wife Samyabrata Goswami, educationists to ` 157.5 crore in FY18 from just ` crore in the first quarter of the previous 1.6 crore in FY17. year. Ramdas Pai and Ramakanta Panda — The company earned ` 2.13 all of whom invested through SARG crore during the quarter from the Media Holding Private Ltd. TIMES NOW newspaper publishing business. The Chandrasekhar resigned from The Times Now is a 24-hour contribution of the newspaper the board, after he officially joined English news channel in India owned business was 1.27% to the total the BJP in April 2018; Goswami and operated by . The revenue from operations. Following purchased back Asianet's shares in channel launched on 23 January 2006 this, the company announced that it May 2019. in partnership with Reuters. It is a pay will stop publishing its compact daily Republic TV allegedly became television throughout India. Until 2016, Mail Today from August 10. the most-watched English news it was India's most popular and most

BROADCAST AND FILM30 MARCH - APRIL 2021 REPORT: NEWS CHANNELS viewed English news channel. After decreased by 3.47% to ` 680.96 crore 2016, the channel has typically ranked as compared to ` 705.49 crore in the India Ahead is a nationwide as the second most watched English previous year. The revenue from the English News Channel. It is promoted news channel in India. sale of traded products and services by Andhra Prabha Media Group and Times Now is a 24 hour English has increased by 78.31% to ` 458.53 launched in June, 2018. The Channel news television channel that provides crore. The event income of the carries news, current affairs, the urbane viewers the complete picture company has also increased by entertainment sports and business of the news that is relevant, presented 28.2% to ` 261.80 crore as compared programming from Indian as well as in a vivid and insightful manner, which to ` 204.06 crore in the previous International Perspective. It's the first enables them to widen their horizons financial year. English news channel to be beamed out & stay ahead. The company has mentioned in of . TimesNnow is brought to you its financial statement that the year by Times Global Broadcasting, a 2018-19 continued to be a challenging Bennett, Coleman & Co and Reuters one for print media owing to pressure service. from escalated newsprint price and marginal dip in advertising and circulation revenue vis-a-vis the previous year. In the television news business, the network owns three channels - Times Now, The tagline of India Ahead is ET Now and . “It’s Good News” which highlights the Times Now continues its vision to look ahead and aim to inform dominance in the English and influence in making a better India News category and maintains for the generation to come. The Times Group is the largest its leadership position, as mentioned media in south Asia, with in the ROC filing. It further stated India Ahead was led by Chetan Leadership in newspaper publishing; that ET Now has dedicated itself to Sharma as Founding CEO and Editorial magazines; music retailing; FM Radio; the nation's development with the Director. He is a celebrated TV anchor, Internet; interactive media; mobile adoption of brand purpose- Rise with a veteran journalist having headed services and lifestyle television. India. During the Union Budget teams across leading media houses like coverage, ET Now was the NDTV, Zee Network and India Today, Times Now Revenue undisputed leader with 82% ESPN Star Sports and TWI. Renowned Bennett Coleman and Company viewership, the statement said. names in the field of journalism like Ltd (BCCL) has recorded an increase In the entertainment business, Sudha Sadanand, Sourav Sanyal, Sana of 7.87% in total revenue for the year the network owns Zoom, Movies Khan and Jujhar Singh are leading the ended March 31, 2019. The company Now, , MNX and MN+. team of India Ahead. In June, 2020 has posted ` 6,985.91 crore as total The network claims that Andhra Prabha Group’s MD Mootha income, compared to ` 6,476.08 crore retains the largest share of voice Goutam announced senior for the year ended March 31, 2018. among the target audience, with a management changes to the English The network’s Profit After Taxation dominating leadership across social new channel India Ahead. While the (PAT) has dipped 74.83% to ` 1,52.79 media. founding CEO Chetan Sharma has as compared to ` 607.08 crore in the TimesNowNews.com (Digital) moved on, the channel has made a previous year. Meanwhile, BCCL’s started from the bottom of the series of senior appointments. Former advertising revenue has gone up by comScore list in 2017 to enter the top CNN-News18 Sudeep Mukhia has 1.7% to ` 4,845.15 crore as compared three league in the English Digital joined India Ahead as Group President, to ` 4,763.47 crore in FY 2018. News Publishing space in November News Room Operations & Editorial As per the financial statement 2018. Timesnownews.com has Strategies. from the Ministry of Corporate established itself as the fastest The channel became the No. 1 Affairs, in FY19 the network sales of growing digital publisher, the channel in terms of Average time spent publication and distribution revenue statement reads. by Viewers during the Budget Week

BROADCAST AND FILM31 MARCH - APRIL 2021 REPORT: NEWS CHANNELS among all the English News Channels executive, as managing producers October, WION World Order- Talking of India. Also, the channel is performing respectively. Known journalists Diplomacy and Mission Smart Cities well in the Southern Indian States such included Saad Hammadi, Bangladesh 2020 in December with key as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil bureau chief and former correspondent stakeholders including ministers, Nadu and . for The Guardian, Archith Seshadri, industry leaders and distinguished India Ahead News Private former CNN anchor, and Tathagata guests. Limited is a Private incorporated on 17 Bhattacharya, former editor of September 2013. It is classified as Non- the CNN web edition. govt company and is registered at The current team includes NewsX Registrar of Companies, Hyderabad. Its Chaudhary as editor-in-chief NewsX is India’s fastest authorized share capital is ` 100,000,000 and Network18 former senior editor growing English News Channel and and its paid up capital is ` 99,200,000. Palki Sharma Upadhyay as executive enjoys highest viewership and highest It is inolved in Reproduction of editor. Sidhant Sibal of DD spent amongst educated urban recorded media [This class includes joined the organisation on 1 April Indians. reproduction of records, audio, video 2018. Sumit Chaturvedi, and computer tapes from master who was earlier with ET copies, reproduction of floppy, hard Now and CNBC TV18, or compact disks, reproduction of non- looks after the business customised software and news content and does duplicating] morning and evening India Ahead News Private business shows Limited's Annual General Meeting WALLET. Republic TV's (AGM) was last held on 29 former news anchor Akanksha Ever since its acquisition by the September 2018 and as per records Swarup joined WION in 2018, ITV Network, the channel has from Ministry of Corporate Affairs becoming one of the channel's witnessed unprecedented growth. (MCA), its balance sheet was last leading faces. Sayed Mustafa Kazemi NewsX is the News Leader and filed on 31 March 2018. became Afghanistan Correspondent sets the news agenda for the nation, Directors of India Ahead News for the channel in February 2020. with its crisp formats, straight forward Private Limited are Gopala Krishna Associated journalists include reporting, pointed debates, trending Mootha, Mahesh Bigala, Goutam Naveen Kapoor, Digvijay Singh Deo, hashtags, and engaging mix of stories. Mootha. Rabin Sharma, Ieshan Wani, It offers maximum news and Kartikeya Sharma, and Alyson le continues to lead. Grange. NewsX is owned by ITV WION (WORLD IS ONE WION, India's first Global Network Group.ITV Network is India’s NEWS) News channel, fastest growing news network, with WION (World is continues to carve two national news channels, four One News) is a out a niche for itself regional news channels, two multinational . English and attains Top newspapers and various digital assets. language news channel English News It employs more than 2025 people headquartered in New channel position with across 25 bureaus/offices and has more Delhi. It is owned by highest viewer than 106 live video sources. The the and is stickiness. (Source: Network has a cumulative reach of more part of the Zee BARC, NCCS 22+ than 100 million viewers and readers Media network of Male AB, All India on a regular basis.  channels. Urban, 0600-2400, The founding Wk 40 - 52 '19 team included Rohit Average ATSV). Gandhi as editor-in- During the quarter, chief, Mandy Clark, the channel hosted former CBS correspondent, profitable engaging and Mithaq Kazimi, American media events like the E-mobility Summit in

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