News Broadcasting
Canal+ hails move to introduce CAS in India
Interactivity in TV viewing will see the light of day in India with the proposed introduction of Conditional Access Systems (CAS), says Canal+ Technologies general manager sales-Asia/Pacific Nicolas Andrieu.
CAS, says Andrieu, will be the key to the concept of pay TV, hitherto unknown in India. “The role of CAS in the pay-TV segment is going to be monumental as it alone can ensure that everyone, from the Broadcasters to MSOs and viewers, all benefit. CAS would ensure that the broadcasters’ rights to their content are not violated; that the MSOs get their fair share of revenues from the subscribers; and last, but not the least, the viewers pay only for what they watch and not for what is being fed to them indiscriminately according to the whims and fancies of the cable operators”, he says in a statement.
The imminent introduction of CAS definitely augurs well for Canal +, a global leader in providing Conditional Access systems Mediaguard to over 30 digital operators and broadcasters. It is also a leading international provider of digital and interactive TV software solutions with more than 13.1 million set-top boxes powered by its software. It is one of the founding members and a very active participant of the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) consortium and has been implementing DVB CAS solutions since 1996. WINfirst in the US, CANALSATELLITE in France, Astro Measat and Zee TV are some of Canal+’s clients worldwide.
Says Andrieu, “The Indian viewers are no longer shackled to the old conventional TV viewing. They can now, exercise their freedom of choice, the essence of any open economy.”
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.
