News Broadcasting
Cauvery waters spat: TN, Karnataka in tit-for-tat ban on channels, films
MUMBAI: With the Cauvery waters dispute threatening to spin out of control, the two “warring” southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have targeted the entertainment sector in order to bring pressure to bear.
Reports indicate that Tamil movies and television channels Sun, Vijaya, Jaya, Raj have been banned in Karnataka from today. Cross over into Tamil Nadu and the scenario is similar, except that it is Kannada channels and films that are feeling the heat. The Tamil Nadu Cable TV Operators Association has sent out an edict banning the airing the Kannada channels Udaya, Udaya News and Ushe TV.
Meanwhile, in Karnataka, the Kannada Hitharakshana Vedike (Kannada Welfare Protection Council) has instructed cinema owners to stop screening Tamil films from today to protest against the Tamil film industry’s proposed rally in Neyveli on 12 October.
Karnataka has also threatened to ban goods and vehicles from Tamil Nadu entering the state. Meanwhile, protesters attacked a cinema house in Bangalore and stopped the screening of Tamil superstar Rajnikant’s latest flick Baba. Rediff.com reported that additional forces were rushed to those localities of Bangalore where there was a dominant presence of Tamils. Tamils constitute around 15 per cent of the six million people in the city.
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.
