News Broadcasting
I&B ministry arms itself to deal with ‘anti-national’ propaganda
It’s taken long to arrive at a decision, but the Indian I&B ministry has finally decided to invoke special legal powers to crack down on cable transmission that could harm the “national interest”.
The order, issued by the ministry on Friday, cites section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act that allows authorities the power to ‘regulate or prohibit the transmission or retransmission of any channel or programmes, by an order, where the Central government thinks it necessary or expedient to do so in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India.” Translated, this means the Centre can intervene in case it finds Pakistan TV (PTV) transmitting anti-India propaganda and black out the channel.
The action comes nearly two weeks after Pakistan disallowed transmission of five channels of the Star family in the country. The ban was lifted a week later by the Pakistan Telecom Authority. India, on the other hand, did not go in for an immediate ban, even after the 13 December terrorist attacks on Parliament. Instead, an inter-ministerial committee was set up by I&B minister Sushma Swaraj to discuss the situation and to monitor the TV signals being beamed from across the border.
Even now, the ministry has not actually blacked out any channel, but seems to be arming itself for any eventuality.
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.
