News Broadcasting
DY 365, News Time Assam TV transmission banned for one day for showing programmes denigrating women
NEW DELHI: The transmission or retransmission on any platform of News Time Assam TV and DY 365 has been banned for one day from midnight 30 July for telecasting news stories about two girls and a member of the Legislative Assembly in October last year.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said that the content of the news reports violated certain provisions of the programme code prescribed under cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the rules framed there under.
A show cause had been issued to both channels on 6 February this year but News Time Assam TV did not reply within the stipulated time. However, the IMC gave the channel an opportunity to appear before it on 26 February, when the channel submitted a letter which denied all charges. But the representatives apologised for telecasting the story and assured they would not make such a mistake again.
DY 365 replied to the show cause notice but said the stories had been telecast to show the gross misuse of the Red Beacon on cars. It was stated that the Supreme Court on 5 August 2013 while hearing cases related to unauthorized use of sirens and beacons banned the use of Red Beacon Lights with flashers. The channel was also given an opportunity to appear before the IMC, where it apologised for the mistake in the telecasts.
The IMC examined the evidence and was of the view that the news reports telecast by News Time Assam and DY 365 appeared to violate Rule 6(1)(a), Rule 6(1)(d), Rule6(l) (i) and Rule (l) (k) of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act.
The IMC also noted that the girls had been chased by the reporter and asked some denigrating questions and the anchor attributed innuendos.
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.
