News Broadcasting
Govt. debating whether CAS should be made mandatory?
NEW DELHI: To CAS or not to CAS mandatorily? This is the question that is being debated by the government.
According to a senior government official, “There is a thinking going round in the information and broadcasting ministry that conditional access systems (CAS) should not be implemented with a “must” clause. In other words, not to make it mandatory.”
Though the official was quick to add that “there was nothing formal” to the thinking on CAS in the ministry, he admitted that the current spate of debate on CAS, especially issues related to investments and cost to the consumer, has made it necessary to look at other aspects as well.
The idea is to go in for CAS on an optional basis. Those consumers and cable operators who want to go in for CAS can go in for it, those who don’t want that can continue in the present regime where on an average the monthly cable susbcription fee is Rs 300/month/household, which gives access to over 70 channels.
However, when efforts were made to confirm this from the I&B ministry itself, it came to naught as nobody was willing to talk on the issue.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the industry and some government officials was held at the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) yesterday in Delhi where the various inputs received by BIS on the technical aspects of a set-top box (STB) were discussed.
Some 50-odd people from the cable industry, manufacutueres like Thomson and Philips and the government attended yesterday’s meeting which started at about 10 a.m. and went on till late in the afternoon.
Amongst the many issues discussed was the digital aspect of a STB, including features like connectors and look-ins.
At the meeting it was also discussed what type of technology can a cable operator opt for and whether it should be made mandatory to have a remote control with an analog STB. A digital STB will mandatorily have a remote control.
The BIS is expected to formulate a final report latest by next month for the government’s consideration.
It is also expected that the amendments to the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Act, 1995, which will facilitate CAS, will sail through the Rajya Sabha (Indian parliament’s Upper House) without too much of a problem.
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.
