News Broadcasting
Allahabad HC asks government to form statutory forum for complaints against electronic media
NEW DELHI: The Allahabad High Court has said that the government needs to provide a statutory forum for electronic-media where people can both approach and ventilate their grievances.
In the petition filed by social activist Dr Nutan Thakur, Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Ashok Pal Singh of the Lucknow bench said for any misconduct committed by the print media statutory forum is available in the form of Press Council of India but no such forum is available for the electronic media.
The court felt that no such statutory forum is available and this does not seem to be proper in a country which is run by the rule of law and governed by the democratic polity and hence the union needs to provide statutory forum for electronic-media.
The order said electronic media immediately affects peoples’ mind and it is well established that paid news items are often used by the media, which is an instance of abuse of power. Hence, prima facie electronic media should also be regulated and supervised by a statutory autonomous forum like the Press Council and the government should have provided some statutory forum to redress the grievance of the news items or other items of the electronic media.
The order said electronic media immediately affects peoples’ mind and it is well established that paid news items are often used by the media, which is an instance of abuse of power. Hence, prima facie electronic media should also be regulated and supervised by a statutory autonomous forum like the Press Council and the government should have provided some statutory forum to redress the grievance of the news items or other items of the electronic media.
The court directed the government to file an affidavit bringing on record its stand on this issue, within four weeks.
The petition had been filed against the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the News Broadcasters Association.
The court noted: ‘Though prima facie against the decision taken by the non-statutory body, the writ petition seems to be not maintainable but we are of the view that keeping in view the public importance of the question raised by the petitioner in person for creation of some statutory forum where the people may address their grievance, the writ petition is admitted.’
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.
