News Broadcasting
Action against TV channels for insulting Mahatama Gandhi
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Two Indian news channels IBN-7 and Sahara showing a controversial clip showing Mahatma Gandhi wielding an AK 47 and then doing a modern dance jig aired by a foreign website have earned the ire of the Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi.
The Minister has taken serious exception to the two channels trying to copy the website youtube.com to denigrate Mahatma Gandhi, ‘tantamounting to an assault to the dignity of the Father of the Nation’ according to a press release.
The Minister has directed the Ministry to give due cognizance to the matter and take necessary action as per law. The Minister wanted the channels to express profound apology to the nation by both the channels in their telecast during prime time today.
CHANNELS EXPRESS REGRET
Just hours after the minister’s warning, both the channels went into damage control. “…our intention is not to denigrate the honour of our father of the nation, but to ensure action on the vulgar and cheap act which is available for public view on the website for quite some time,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted a spokesman for Sahara as saying.
Emphasising that the channel had “immense respect and affection” towards Gandhi, the channel said, “Even then if this news has hurt some of our brethren and countrymen, we from the core of our heart regret it.”
Taking a similar tack, IBN 7 managing Editor Ashutosh said, “We are equally hurt and disturbed and share the outrage of fellow countrymen. We are clarifying our outrage over the incident to the viewers.”
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.
