News Broadcasting
Govt to make amendments only after consultation: PM
NEW DELHI: News channels can take a breather with prime minister Manmohan Singh hinting at a broader consultation with all stakeholders before coming out with any amendments that would put curbs on news coverage.
The PM on Wednesday assured editors of news broadcasters that any changes in the act will only be taken up “after the widest possible consultation with all the stakeholders and eliciting their different points of view on the proposed changes.”
In a brief statement, the PM office said that the PM has received “several representations from the media agencies regarding certain proposed changes in the Cable Television Network Rules currently under consideration.”
Thus, the PM has put the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, which was seen as a gag act on media, on hold for now.
Earlier, the government had been contemplating some changes in the act and the rules under it in view of what it perceives to be the “excessive and exaggerated” coverage of the tragic terrorist attack in Mumbai on 26 November and the “continual” coverage thereon.
The Act now monitors stories on sex, crime, footage of narco-analysis admissions and others.
Editors of news channels have been trying to mobilise political support and have met BJP President Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, and AICC president Sonia Gandhi to express their concerns over the proposed amendments.
Gandhi said that she and the Congress party believed that “the freedom of the press should not be compromised.” She further assured that a “middle way” would be found to solve the problem.
Several political leaders such as Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury have extended their support to news broadcasters. Yechury, for instance, said his party had asked the government to form an independent regulatory board for the media industry.
Karat has written a letter to PM saying, “Our Party is of the opinion that there should be no hasty step taken regarding media regulation. Apart from the self-regulatory mechanism put in place by the news channels, it is necessary to have co-regulation through an independent regulatory body. How this is to be done has to be discussed and a common approach arrived at. Till then, no steps should be taken to empower the government and the administration to further regulate the news channels.”
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.
