News Broadcasting
Chavan unfazed by EC Notice, says it vindicates his stand
NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan remains unfazed by the show cause notice issued to him by the Election Commission.
In fact, Chavan said this only vindicated his and the Congress’ stand that “there is no question of paid news.”
“Our stand on the paid news issue has been confirmed by the Election Commission. Even the High Court and Supreme Court had taken a similar stand when our opponents had filed a petition. The courts had rejected their petition. Now this (EC) order is also very clear. There is no question of paid news,” Chavan told Press Trust of India over phone.
Chavan claimed that he had himself pleaded with the Commission to give him an opportunity to file electoral expenses as required by law and he will now do this as notice has been issued to him.
“There is a provision under which a notice can be served to us. We will reply to that. I have not seen the order in detail yet. But the issue of paid news is ruled out totally,” Chavan said.
The notice relates to the election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held in September-October 2009 wherein Chavan was the candidate from the Bhokar seat.
The complainants who include rival contestant Madhavrao Kinhalkar, Bharatiya Janata Party vice president Kirit Somaiya, BJP MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and five others had alleged in their submission made before the Election Commission that Chavan got several advertisements published in various regional newspapers during the poll campaign.
The complainants had alleged that the advertisements which appeared in newspapers in the garb of news eulogising Chavan and his achievements as Chief Minister, were “paid news”.
It was alleged by them that a huge expenditure was incurred or authorised by Chavan for getting those advertisements and the articles published as news, and that the expenditure incurred or authorised on the publication of those paid news was not included by Chavan in his account of election expenses maintained under section 77 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
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.
