News Broadcasting
FCC nod for News Corp, Direct TV deal
MUMBAI: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has okayed News Corp’s takeover of DirecTV and Hughes, but has imposed certain conditions on the $6.6 billion deal.
The deal between the media conglomerate and the satellite television provider was opposed by the commission’s democratic minority.
According to media reports, the conditions attached to the deal include an assurance that the competitors can access News Corp controlled programming.
FCC also said News Corp must agree to arbitration to solve disputes with companies that carry its broadcast and cable channels and must treat all stations equally, not tilt in favour of its Fox broadcasting network and cable stations such as FX, says the media report. News Corp also agreed not to pull either the network programming or its regional sports networks while a dispute was being arbitrated.
FCC Chairman Michael Powell offered that the conditional merger will ultimately benefits the American public. He also added that enhanced competition will increase pressure to improve service and lower prices for both cable and satellite television subscribers.
The transaction should be completed during the next several business days. The deal also won clearance from the justice department’s antitrust staff, say reports.
The deal, announced in April, states that News Corp would acquire 34 per cent of DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics – a subsidiary of General Motors Corp. The deal would give News Corp the largest block of shares in Hughes and controlling interest in DirecTV, which has more than 11 million subscribers.
The deal was also opposed by some consumer groups, who said that it would further reduce competition by shrinking the number of media companies, and would drive up the price of cable and satellite services.
The FCC last year rejected a proposed merger between DirecTV and its chief competitor, EchoStar Communications Corp, ruling it would unfairly limit consumer choices.
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.
