News Broadcasting
300+ Patna cable ops on indefinite strike
MUMBAI: Even as the CAS light continues to dim, there are increasing signs that the next round of blackouts are around the corner.
Over 300 cable operators in Patna, the capital of India’s northern state of Bihar, on Tuesday went on an indefinite strike. They were demanding withdrawal of the hike in subscriptions of pay channels and rationalisation of entertainment tax by the state government, the Press Trust of India quoted association president Amit Prakash as saying.
While this was the first major direct action by the cable fraternity in the New Year, there have already been warnings issued from different quarters that similar action is being contemplated.
Cable operators in Delhi are contemplating a joint action wherein all TV channels will be blacked out for a day. “The blackout will be a token strike for a day to force the government to act in the interest of the general public. The date of the strike will be announced shortly after consultations in the other metropolitans,” Cable Operators United Front president Virender Gaur was quoted as saying by The Asian Age on Monday.
In Mumbai meanwhile, the Shiv Sena backed Cable Operators and Distributors Association (CODA), which claims to speak for the last mile operators in Mumbai, has vowed to resist any further hikes in pay channel rates.
Winter may be upon us but expect temperatures to flare over the next few days as pay channels negotiate the new subscription rates for 2004.
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.
