News Broadcasting
Editors Guild constitutes legal advisory panel on media freedom
NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India has constituted a legal advisory panel that will advise and work with it on important issues pertaining to press freedom. It shared in a statement that the panel will help the Guild craft responses to the complex web of civil and criminal laws that are used by authorities to suppress media freedom.
The members of the panel include former union minister, Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, senior Supreme Court advocates Shyam Diwan, Sanjay Hegde, and Menaka Guruswamy, senior Delhi high court advocate Rajiv Nayar, advocate Prashant Kumar, and advocate Shahrukh Alam.
The Guild also stated, “The panel will be expanded in the coming days to include more members of the legal fraternity from across different states, who have worked in the realm of freedom of expression and media related issues.”
The Editors Guild of India announces a Legal Advisory Panel to advise and work with the Guild on issues of press freedom. @KapilSibal Shyam Divan, Rajiv Nayar @Sanjayuvacha2 @MenakaGuruswamy, Prashant Kumar, Shahrukh Alam pic.twitter.com/d7EYtIqTCz
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) November 25, 2020
The move comes in the wake of concerns raised over freedom of the press following several high-profile arrests of journalists across the country. While the case of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami being taken into police custody and his subsequent release on bail was highly publicised, some other instances of arrest may have slipped under the average person's radar. Kerala-based reporter Siddique Kappan was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, while on his way to cover the Hathras incident. Manipuri journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem was arrested in October on charges of sedition for responding to a viral social media post made by the wife of a BJP politician. Ahan Penkar, a journalist with The Caravan magazine faced the brunt of police highhandedness when he was detained for several hours, his phone was taken away from him and its contents deleted by Delhi police officials.
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.
