News Broadcasting
India asks J&K to stop illegal channels, official unavailable
MUMBAI: The Indian government has asked the administration in Jammu and Kashmir to take stern action against private cable operators airing illegal Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels. Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has reportedly directed the J&K government to submit a report at the earliest.
www.indiantelevision.com could not speak to the director (BP& L) in the information and broadcasting ministry Amit Katoch on the concrete plan of action in spite of several attempts last Friday as his assistant said he was busy.
Jammu and Kashmir operators reportedly broadcast several channels illegally such as Ary QTV, Saudi Sunnah, Karbala, Saudi Quran, Al Arabia, Paigham, Hidayat, Sehar, Hadi TV, Sehar, Noor, Madani, Bethat, Ahlibat, Falak, Dawn News, Geo News and Ary News. A senior official in New Delhi reportedly said that the Kashmir administration had been asked to file an ATR (action-taken report).
While the Pakistani channels show anti-India programmes, those from Saudi preach Wahhabism, a concept of the Sharia law including the banned Peace TV headed by Dr Zakir Naik. A majority of around 5,000 cable operators in the Valley reportedly run these channels. The minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore reportedly said that he had asked the chief secretary Bharat Bhushan Vyas to submit a compliance report.
While the government of India has banned these channels, the operators in Kashmir cite the Ranbir Penal Code, a separate law in Kashmir, according to which the ban is not applicable. Reportedly, the I&B ministry meanwhile directed local cable operators (LCOs), multi-system operators (MSOs) and direct-to-home (DTH) platforms to stop the telecast of illegal channels.
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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.
