News Broadcasting
Data on effect of sexual images on TV on US youth insufficient
MUMBAI: The issue over celebrities baring themselves in the US took centrestage during the Super Bowl on 1 February. In some quarters the Janet Jackson expose has even been referred to as the strip show.
The Medical Institute for Sexual Health in the US has released a study called Impact of the Media on Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviours.
The study reviews the research conducted into the impact of sexual imagery in the media on youth yet completed. It reveals that past studies fail to throw much light on what the barrage of sex on television, movies, CDs, the radio, and the Internet really means for American children and youth.
The review castigated Hollywood saying that its age old prescription of ‘just turn the channel if you don’t like what your kids are seeing,’ doesn’t work anymore. In fact the study doubts whether that strategy worked in the first place.
The study elaborates on the fact that whether they want it or not kids and teens are constantly being exposed to sexual imagery and content be it the TV, the Internet, the radio, CDs, movies, and video games. Data shows that the average American teen watches three to four hours of television every day. For every hour of television watched by teens, there are, on average, 6.7 scenes including sexual topics, and about 10 per cent of these scenes show couples engaged in sexual intercourse.
22 per cent of teen-oriented radio segments contain sexual content, and studies have shown that 20 per cent of these range from rather to very explicit. The rot has been going on for quite a while. An analysis of the top-selling CDs in 1999 found that 42 per cent contain sexual contact, 41 per cent of which is either pretty or very explicit. 61 per cent of teens using computers “surf the net,” and 14 percent report seeing something they wouldn’t want their parents to know about.
The study is an extensive systematic review of the relevant biomedical and social science literature available over a 20 year period. This reveals that only 19 of 2,522 eesearch-related documents (less than 1 per cent) involving media and the youth address the effects of mass media on adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviour.
While past studies suggest an association between media exposure and adolescent sexual behavior they are limited because of their study designs, sampling procedures, and small sample sizes. ‘We do not know the relationship over time between exposure to television and sexual initiation in adolescents’ states the review.
The review found that the available studies done in the past indicated that adolescents exposed to TV with sexual content are more likely to overestimate the frequency of some sexual behaviours. They have more permissive attitudes toward premarital sex and also think that having sex is beneficial.
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.
