News Broadcasting
Sami al Haj is Al Jazeera news producer
MUMBAI: Middle East news broadcaster Al Jazeera has named Sami al Haj as news producer for the newly created ‘Liberties and Human Rights Affairs’ desk.
Sami al Haj, a journalist by profession, was recently released from Guantanamo Bay after six years of detention.
The creation of this position will further enhance the broadcaster’s coverage of human rights issues, providing an avenue for the network to put the concerns and suffering of real people back at the centre of the global news agenda, claims Al Jazeera.
In his new capacity, Sami will follow human rights and civil liberties issues closely with an aim to produce features and documentaries that raise public awareness and educate people regarding human rights. The features and documentaries will encapsulate issues raising from international, legal and political debates that take place in global centres of power.
Sami al Haj says, “I am thrilled to be working for Al Jazeera again and to be working on issues that matter so dearly to me. Obviously, the protection of human rights and civil liberties is extremely important, and I hope to use my new position as a vehicle to show the world that human rights abuses still occur all over the globe. Hopefully, through this work, Al Jazeera can play some role in helping people around the world who have suffered too long in silence.”
“We are pleased to have Sami back at work, performing a role that is very important to Al Jazeera. The network has always strived to provide a voice to the voiceless and to tell the story of the weak and abused, and by creating this new position, we are further demonstrating this commitment. We hope that our work will help those who feel alone and realize that they have friends and allies who care about their plight,” adds Al Jazeera Network DG Wadah Khanfar.
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.
