News Broadcasting
Bring electronic, online media under ambit of a body: Markandey Katju
NEW DELHI: Press Council of India chairperson Justice Markandey Katju has again said that electronic as well as online media should be brought under the ambit of a body.
“The scope of Press Council of India (PCI) should be expanded by including the electronic media into its ambit,” Katju told reporters after chairing the PCI meeting in Panaji.
“The Press Council of India Act is dated 1966 when there was no television. Now there is a huge influence of television in our life. We have recommended that electronic media should also be brought under the ambit of the PCI,” he said.
It can be recalled that the Press Council of India Act was passed again in 1978 with some changes after Indira Gandhi had repealed it during the National Emergency in 1975.
Katju said that online media be also brought under the purview of the PCI which now covers only print media.
He also reiterated his demand for more powers to the Council. “The Parliamentary committee has also recommended that the PCI should have more powers. Currently, recommendations of the Parliamentary committee are under consideration,” Katju said.
He added that with the inclusion of electronic media, the number of members on PCI can also be increased thus giving proper representation to the newly-included sector.
“Right now there are 20 members from print. We can include 20 more from the electronic media,” Katju said.
Responding to a query, he said that the Council should be a regulatory body and not the controlling one. “I am against the controls. I am in favour of regulations. No freedom is absolute. Regulations have to be there,” Katju concluded.
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.
