News Broadcasting
CNBC questions INCablenet stand
NEW DELHI: Television Eighteen Ltd, the Indian joint venture partner for CNBC India, has questioned the Hinduja Group MSO INCablenet’s stand on the black out of the business news channel on the INCablenet owned or affiliate cable networks in Mumbai. It has also written a letter to the Indian Broadcasters’ Foundation (IBF) requesting that the apex body should come out strongly against such incidents of “armtwisting.”
The IBF is the apex body of broadcasting companies operating in India.
“If we have not signed up with INCablenet as per the Cable TV Act, something which is being claimed to be the reason behind the blackout, I would ask has INCablenet ever written to us asking us to do so?” was the question Haresh Chawla, chief executive of TV18, put before indiantelevision today.
Chawla said if the case was that of the channel not signing up with the MSO, as per the law, then the channel should not be on air in other parts of the country also. “But in other parts of the country CNBC India is on air and is being shown by cable operators, some of whom may be also franchisees of INCablenet.”
INCablenet president Rajiv Vyas, however, had told indiantelevision.com yesterday that the business channel was off the network because it had failed to provide “an official undertaking that it was complying with all terms and conditions of the Cable Act.”
But Chawla has dared INCablenet to come out and give proof that other channels have signed up with INCablenet as per the rules and regulations, which are being cited by the MSO.
Chawla further said the poser should be put to INCablenet as to whether business channel Bloomberg, which is what has replaced CNBC India on the bouquet, had given any such undertaking.
INCablenet had taken CNBC India feed off its networks in Mumbai since Tuesday allegedly in retaliation for a report carried by the channel on the Hindujas and Bofors case earlier this week.
In a counter move, CNBC India has decided to stop covering the Hinduja group’s business activities and has also deleted the Hinduja group’s scrip price movement from its ticker service, which comes at the bottom of the TV screen.
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.
