News Broadcasting
Centre awaits response on CAS, mulls ad regulation on pay channels
NEW DELHI: The government today admitted that from the time implementation of conditional access system (CAS) was deferred in the three metros of Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi, not much work has been done by the state governments in this regard.
The federal government of India was still awaiting response from most state governments on setting up of state level implementation committees for CAS.
While the state governments of the four metros had been requested by the Centre to ensure fullest cooperation for smooth CAS implementation, only the West Bengal government had recently constituted a state level committee.
This was stated in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) in a written reply by information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
On whether there were possibilities of CAS being rolled out in some cities, the minister said as per the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Act, 1995 the centre may make it obligatory for every cable operator to transmit or retransmit programmes of any channel through an addressable system from the date specified in the notification and from different dates as may be specified for different states, cities and towns.
Prasad also stated that the matter of regulating advertisement on pay channels was under “consideration”. He was, however, quick to add that the matter did not fall within the purview of the CATV Act.
On the programming front and the rules and regulations, the I&B minister said that notices had been sent to several channels to take off serials and programmes on the grounds that they did not conform to the programming code.
The programmes/serials which were asked to be taken off air or the channels that were asked not to air a particular episode include Temptation Island (a reality show on Star World) and serials Kavita, Kyunki Saas and Ram Khilawan CM. Some horror serials like Sssshh Koi Hai were asked to telecast after 10 pm, the minister said.
The decisions, Prasad said, had been taken after an inter-ministerial committee made certain recommendations.
An advisory was also sent to the Indian Broadcasting Foundation to direct its member channels to strictly adhere to the provisions of the programming code. “This is a continuous process. No repetitions of violations have been reported,” the minister stated.
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.
