News Broadcasting
Broadcasters to let 12 August deadline on NTO 2.0 pricing slide
New Delhi: The action and buzz is gathering pace in the television ecosystem even as the deadline for broadcasters to file the new pricing for their channels under NTO 2.0 is set to expire on 12 August 2021.
A section of the distribution sector – consisting of DTH operators and cable TV operators – maintains that broadcasters will have to file their new reference interconnect orders (RIO) declaring their bouquet pricing and the MRPs of their channels under NTO 2.0 by Thursday.
The latter had approached the Bombay high court in July asking it to stay the NTO 2.0 but it had turned down their plea. The court had given them six weeks to get their acts together even as it had informed the sectoral regulator – the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) not to take any coercive action against the broadcasters in the interim. The deadline given by the court to them ends on Thursday and the watchdog can, if it chooses, penalise the TV networks.
Earlier, the Trai had brought down the MRP for a TV channel from Rs 19 to Rs 12, something which the broadcasters have been protesting against.
Senior executives from TV networks – under the umbrella of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation – were in meetings all of Wednesday. A senior broadcasting executive told Indiantelevision.com that the Trai cannot and should not take a tough stand against broadcasters as the Supreme Court’s next hearing is scheduled for 18 August.
The IBF and its member broadcasters had challenged the Bombay HC order which had upheld the constitutionality of the NTO 2.0. On 6 August, the apex court asked them to get back to it with slimmer petitions, and posted the matter for hearing on 18 August.
“The case is sub-judice, and the Supreme Court will hear it only on 18 August so the matter of “stay orders” does not arise,” said the executive.
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.
