News Broadcasting
Jackson verdict: US news channel ratings rocket 5-fold
MUMBAI: Monday’s total legal victory for Michael Jackson on charges of child molestation, conspiracy and other counts was a verdict that brought a huge cheer for not just the erstwhile “king of Pop” and his millions of diehard fans worldwide. Viewers across the globe were glued to their TV sets catching the latest on the story, skyrocketing the ratings for news channels worldwide.
In the US fo
r example, on the night of 13 June, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC collectively had about 10 million viewers at a time when they would have normally had fewer than two million. On the other side of the Atlantic in the UK, nearly 8 million TV viewers hooked on to the BBC’s main evening news bulletin to watch the verdict of not guilty on all counts being read out.
The verdict came just in time for the evening news in the US. Helicopters beamed live video to the world as they tailed Jackson’s caravan of SUVs between his Neverland Ranch and the courthouse.
However, viewership of the overall trial in the US was affected because Judge Rodney S Melville denied media organisations the oportunity to televise all or parts of Jackson’s trial. Television stations had argued to no avail that their viewers should have been able to see the controlled seriousness of the courtroom in contrast to the unrestrained
hoopla outside.
An AP report quoted Court TV CEO Henry Schleiff saying that televising the proceedings would have provided a public service and drawn more viewers. However, attorney Howard Weitzman, who had earlier represented Jackson in a child molestation claim that was settled, felt the televising of any trial could have had a negative effect on the proceedings.
In another report John Watson, a journalism professor at American University in Washington who is an expert on media coverage of the US court system laments the fact that the American media failed to take advantage of the Jackson situation to educate the public about the justice system. The Jackson case, according to him, should have been used as a litmus test to see how well one of the major institutions of the US government is functioning, or not functioning.
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.
