News Broadcasting
Cable fraternity hits out at TRAI
NEW DELHI: And so the blame game goes on. First it was the government that was in the line of fire of the broadcast and cable industry stakeholders for favouring one segment or the other. Now, the regulator is coming under the same sort of criticism.
Miffed with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the cable fraternity today hit out at the new industry sheriff as a clutch of cable operators from different parts of the country today expressed their ‘lack of faith’ in the regulator.
The bone of contention is not only TRAIs reluctance to regulate prices of pay channels, but also introduce a unified license scheme under which any company, including those operating in the field of telecom, can offer cable services.
“The attitude of TRAI is puzzling and is biased towards broadcasters. It cannot regulate the prices of (pay) channels, but is willing to put caps on cable rates,” Gujarat Cable Operators Association, vice-president, Nehal Parmir told indiantelevision.com today during an interaction with the media in the Capital.
According to Parmir, if this line of thinking is carried forward by TRAI, then it would be detrimental to the over Rs 150 billion cable industry as non-cable companies would muscle their way in to oust smaller cable ventures.
Usual suspects like COFI’s (Cable Operators Federation of India) Roop Sharma and National Cable & Telecom Association’s (NCTA) Vikki Chowdhry are of the opinion that the appointment of the regulator too, it seems, may not change the scenario for the better.
Sharma went to the extent of saying that TRAIs proposal to bring in a unified licensing scheme was aimed at favouring a particular corporate house that is very active in the field of telecom as it, through its telecom customers, wants to grab the whole world.
As if on cue, at todays press meet, the cable operators expressed concern over the possible entry of telecom companies like Reliance, Bharti and BSNL in the cable television distribution business in the “guise of convergence.”
Various cable operators associations from all parts of India, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Assam, Chennai, Bangalore, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Pondicherry and Punjab had yesterday apprised TRAI of their various problems during a meeting. And today they told the media of their encounter with TRAI.
Harping on same lines, the cable operators today said that foremost on their agenda was the vertical monopoly by broadcasters through their supported MSOs, which has resulted in the present chaotic situation in the cable TV industry.
A cable operator from Punjab said that TRAI has no hold over arbitrary increase in the rates by broadcasters and their continuous efforts to force increased connectivity on the cable operators.
Surprisingly, a representative from Chennai, where CAS has already implemented, informed the gathering that contrary to popular belief addressability was successful in the city
Whether anybody is listening or not, the cable operators have come up with a long list of suggestions for TRAI too. These include licensing of channels like any other service provider, having uniform channel prices all over the country, having the same pricing for channels for cable, DTH and other related mode of delivery and of course, cross service restrictions.
The big question: is TRAI willing to take a factionalism-ridden cable industry seriously?
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.
