News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati spectrum issue may go to TRAI for final decision
NEW DELHI: An internal panel of the Department of Telecom (DoT) has recommended that the note from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry seeking exemption from auction for spectrum to be allocated to Prasar Bharti be referred to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Prasar Bharati said “Spectrum to Prasar Bharti would be allocated on rates fixed by Government of India.”
Meanwhile, a committee has been set up to examine the conditions for allotment of airwaves through routes other than auction, according to Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Milind Deora.
The DoT panel will examine various issues related to allotment and pricing of spectrum, “Including conditions which need to be satisfied in order to adopt auction as the preferred/sole mode of allotment of spectrum, conditions and types of spectrum for which administrative allotment of spectrum should be adopted as the norm,” Deora said in Parliament earlier this week.
Telecom minister Kapil Sibal had earlier said that adopting auction route every time for allocating spectrum “does not make sense” and that the cabinet would decide on the issue based on the committee’s report.
It is also learnt that the DoT may seek sector regulator TRAI’s views on the process to be adopted for allocation of spectrum to telecom operators without auction, following the draft recommendation in this regard by its internal committee.
The last spectrum allocation through administrative process for mobile telephony was done in 2009. But later it was put on hold following series of controversial reports regarding spectrum allocation made in 2008 for 122 2G telecom licenses. Later, the Supreme Court in its judgment on February 2, 2012 cancelled these licenses and asked government to allocate the freed spectrum through auction.
DoT formed an internal committee to look into conditions where auction cannot be always suitable for spectrum allocation. This is especially in cases like allocation of small amount of airwaves to telecom operators who were earlier allocated 4.4 megahertz of frequencies to bring them in sync with new rules of five Mhz spectrum allocation, or for duration in between their license period of 20 years.
DoT’s Committee on Allotment/Assignment and Pricing of Spectrum, in its draft report, is learnt to have suggested that the department seek recommendation of TRAI on the matter of spectrum assignment and allocation meant for commercial use without auction. The committee in its report said the reference to TRAI be made on “terms of reference of the committee – conditions which need to be satisfied in order to adopt auction as the preferred or sole mode of allotment/assignment of spectrum for the services.” The committee, however, has suggested that airwaves frequencies allocated to organisations for internal use need not be referred to the sector regulator.
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.
