News Broadcasting
Break free of the idiot box during ‘TV turnoff week’
MUMBAI:Turn off TV and turn on life! The 10th edition of the TV Turn off week 2004, with strong support from the public and leading health groups, started on Monday 19 April in the US.
Founded in 1994, the TV-Turnoff Network has spent the past decade spreading the message that, by switching off the idiot box people are able to lead healthier lives because then they would interact with friends and family more. It advises people to take a seven day break from TV and reclaim time to talk, play, read, exercise, dream and live life.
Research made by the network in US shows that Americans spend a minimum of seven hours per day in front of the television. It also shows that around 54 per cent of American children have a TV in their bedrooms. The network presses on the fact that television cuts into family time, harms children’s ability to read and succeed in school and contributes to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity.
With “millions of people having been fed up with indecency on the airwaves”, the organisation expects a greater support of the public this year.
More than seven million including children and adults, and 80 organisations are expected to participate over 17,500turnoffs around the world. The network is supported by various US organisations including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, claims the organisation.
The organisation adds that more than 24 million people have participated in the TV-Turnoff Week since 1995 and more than 30,000 US students have benefitted from the programme.
According to the Washington D.C based non profit TV Turnoff Network, last year around 7.04 million people including kids and adults pulled the plug and turned off TV during the TV turnoff week
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.
