News Broadcasting
Al Gore looking to present alternate views with proposed Al TV
MUMBAI: The flag waving coverage of the recent Iraq conflict from the “conservative channels” such as Rupert Murdoch’s Fox drew the ire of viewers across the globe. There are people who believe that the US media betrayed the trust that was reposed in it by acting as a mouthpiece for Bush. Now, reports indicate that former US VP Al Gore is planning a channel Al TV to offer a counter punch.
A Time report indicates that Gore has quietly been doing the rounds seeking entrepreneurs with deep pockets to fund a cable television network. It looks at presenting views that are progressive and which offer scope for broader debate.
A part of the content would target the youth by putting video cameras in the hands of kids as it were.
What could be a source of encouragement for Gore and the Democrats would the sales of Hillary Clinton’s recently released autobiography – Living History. With Monica Lewinsky in the book, however, how much sales have to do with the Democrat’s viewpoint per se is debatable though.
Gore has gone on record describing the conservative outlets as a “fifth column” within the media ranks. He accused them of inserting the Republican views into the definition of what constitutes objectivity.
“Fox News Network, The Washington Times , Rush Limbaugh theres a bunch of them, and some of them are financed by wealthy ultra-conservative billionaires who make political deals with Republican administrations and the rest of the media,” Gore has been quoted as saying. Such was the distortion in the US networks coverage of the recent conflict that one third of the American public believe that weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. Another 22 per cent believe Iraq used chemical or biological weapons against coalition forces a report states.
Another reason for the proposed TV network is that the Presidential elections are a year away and therefore Gore is looking to increase his media visibility.
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.
