News Broadcasting
Editors Guild of India, PCI condemn attack on Arnab Goswami
MUMBAI: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) and Press Council of India (PCI) have strongly condemned the alleged attack on Republic TV’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray by two people on a bike late Wednesday night, 22 April.
EGI in its statement said: “Any physical attack, instigation for hate or verbal abuse hurled against any journalist is a reprehensible act. The freedom to express one’s views or report facts without any fear or intimidation whatsoever is the most fundamental tenet of journalism.”
The guild has asked the Mumbai police to book those who had attacked the editor and his wife.
Goswami, during a live debate show on Monday, resigned from the membership of EGI while discussing the Palghar lynching incident. He accused EGI of promoting fake news by a few media outlets and keeping mum on the recent lynching in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
PCI, condemning the attack on Goswami and his wife, said: “Every citizen in the country including a journalist has the right to express their opinion which may not be palatable to many but this does not give anybody the authority to strangulate such voice.”
“Violence is not the answer even against bad journalism,” it said and urged the state government to apprehend the perpetrators of the crime and bring them to justice immediately.
“While taking suo motu cognisance in the matter, the PCI’s chairman has directed the government of Maharashtra, through the chief secretary and commissioner of police, Mumbai to submit a report on the facts of the case at the earliest,” the statement reads.
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.
