News Broadcasting
Arnab Goswami’s arrest is attack on fourth pillar of democracy: NBF
New Delhi: The News Broadcasters Federation is shocked at the arrest of Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief and MD of Republic TV; in a 2-year old abetment to suicide case, and condemns the manner in which he was taken into custody in the early hours, on Wednesday, from his residence by the Mumbai Police.
NBF calls upon the government of India and state government of Maharashtra to follow the due process of law and ensure fair treatment to Goswami, editor-in-chief of a news channel.
As the largest organisation of news TV broadcasters, NBF also calls upon the entire media and news fraternity to come together and stand for the freedom of the press, the fourth pillar of democracy.
"The early morning arrest of Arnab Goswami by the Mumbai police is shocking and is a direct attack on the fourth pillar of democracy. This is sheer disrespectful, fascist and anarchist action against the Freedom of Expression and the press in the history of the country. We draw the urgent attention of the Government of India to draw specific processes to safeguard journalists who are being victimised for performing their professional duty," said NBF secretary-general R. Jai Krishna.
“For the protection of journalists and news media organisations, the central government should put in place a neutral agency as a deterrent against abuse of power by any agency to stifle the freedom of the press,” said NBF VP and OTV (Odisha) MD Jagi M Panda.
“I condemn very strongly the arrest of Arnab Goswami. It is like breaking down the fourth pillar of democracy. I request the central government to intervene in this matter and put pressure on the state government. If required the emergency should be declared in the State of Maharashtra. As this happened during the emergency rule and similar is happening today. This attack is not at all acceptable and I request all the news media to come together because it can happen to any of us,” said NBF VP and founder Prag News Sanjive Narain.
NBF VP and ITV Network founder Kartikeya Sharma said, "The sudden arrest of Arnab Goswami is condemnable. The entire media fraternity should come together to stand against such actions against Freedom of the Press."
“I’m aghast and at the loss of words to hear that a celebrated and respected journalist Arnab Goswami of a leading news network like Republic TV is being yanked from his place at 7 am in the morning is absolutely loathsome and outrageous, this is not right at all,” said NBF VP and Fourth Dimension Media CEO Shankar B.
“We strongly condemn the illegal detention and arrest of Mr Arnab Goswami for a case closed by the court much earlier. This action of the Mumbai Police is a blatant misuse of power. The media community should stand united against this kind of attack against the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in the Indian Constitution," said 24 News Channel (Kerala) chief editor R Sreekandan Nair.
“We condemn the arrest of Arnab Goswami, vindictive behaviour is unacceptable and freedom of the press must be protected,” said MH1 News MD and chairman Mahinder Bathla.
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.
