News Broadcasting
Editors dismayed over I&B’s notice to 3 news channels over Yakub Memon’s hanging
NEW DELHI: The Broadcast Editors’ Association (BEA) has reacted strongly to the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry’s notice to three television news channels relating to their coverage of stories linked to the 1993 serial bombing convict Yakub Memon’s hanging.
Referring to the show cause notices sent to ABP News, Aaj Tak and NDTV, the Association expressed concern over the “apparent tendency among governments, both at the centre and in some states, to serve notices on media organisations in a selective manner.”
Expressing dismay, BEA said it would take up this issue with the government at the highest level.
Meanwhile, confirming the issuance of the show cause notices to the three channels, a senior official of the I&B Ministry told Indiantelevision.com that the channels had been given a time of 15 days to reply.
The official said that the matter would then go to the Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry along with several members from other Ministries.
It is learnt that the notice asks why action should not be taken against the channels for carrying reports that amounted to contempt of the institution of the President as also the judiciary. It was stated in the notice that some of the coverages amounted to violation of some sections of the Programme Code.
One of the sections says that no programme should be carried, which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes.
Another section also asks channels not to carry anything, which contains aspersions against the integrity of the President and Judiciary.
Two of the broadcasters to whom notices have been sent had reportedly aired phone-in interviews of underworld figure Chhota Shakeel, while another channel is learnt to have telecast remarks of Memon’s lawyer.
Memon was convicted in 2007 as the person behind the attack in Mumbai in 1993 in which 257 people were killed as bombs exploded back to back.
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.
