News Broadcasting
India TV returns to NBA fold after three-month estrangement
NEW DELHI: India TV has returned to the News Broadcasters Association after three months of estrangement over the decision of the NBA Authority taking suo motu action on the telecast of a report relating to an interview by a Pakistani researcher to Reuters after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26 November last year.
Following the channel’s return to the NBA, its founder-chairman Rajat Sharma will rejoin as a member of the NBA Board. The channel’s managing editor Vinod Kapri, who had tendered his resignation, returns as a member of the NBA Authority.
It is understood that though the channel was forced to pay a penalty of Rs 100,000 and run an apology scroll, India TV which had quit NBA on 19 April decided to sink differences after some members of the NBA Board – themselves broadcasters – were sympathetic and admitted the guidelines of the Board had not been followed.
NBA sources told indiantelevision.com that any viewer can complain to the respective TV channel directly about any report. The matter goes to the NBA Authority headed by Justice JS Verma only after the channel has not been able to satisfy the complainant within one week.
India TV had run a late night report in Hindi about an interview given in English to Reuters by Barhana Ali who is a researcher with the American CIA about the terrorist attack. Ali had subsequently complained to the channel that the interview had been in English to Reuters and not to the channel, and that she had been erroneously described as a CIA spy.
The channel had subsequently run a story clarifying the points made by Ali, and she was satisfied. The NBA Board had been duly informed and decided to treat the matter as closed.
However, the 9-member NBA Authority – set up by the NBA Board – decided suo motu to take up the case and is understood to have taken a decision against the channel in a hearing which reportedly did not have the quorum as required under the guidelines.
India TV is understood to have taken the decision to return in the larger interest of unity among 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.
