News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak reporter harassed while following story on gang rape
NEW DELHI: A reporter of Aaj Tak who was attempting to check security measures taken in the wake of the gang rape of a girl in a moving bus last Sunday was harassed in broad daylight today in Vasant Kunj area of New Delhi by three eve teaser in a car.
A team of ten women reporters from the network which went around the city, however, said that “the power of camera made us feel safe on the haunting and crime filled streets of Delhi during the night”.
Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan raised this incident in Parliament today and demanded an investigation. Congress MP Girija Vyas also raised this story and expressed her concern on the same. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde shared his concern on the matter and assured the house of investigation on this matter.
Aaj Tak has launched a campaign on its facebook page against this atrocious crime. The page will give the updates on the pending rape cases of Delhi & NCR. All the gruesome incidents that have happened before will be reopened, to open the government’s eyes. The page also gives an opportunity to the general public to express their views on whether Capital punishment should be mandatory for the rapists or not.
Expressing the shock at today’s incident, Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today Group, said: “It is horrible and barbaric! Such incidents are dragging us back to the uncivilized era in spite of taking us forward! If the media people themselves are becoming victims, I wonder the scare felt by the ordinary women in city! It’s a shame for all of us and our foremost duty is to fight the menace”.
Aaj Tak pledge all the other news channels, students, teachers, home makers and everyone to be out on streets and not let the flame of the burning issue fade out.
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.
