News Broadcasting
Mamata Banerjee plans to start state-run channel
MUMBAI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee loves to be in news, for whatever reasons. After gaining intense criticism and negative publicity over several recent decisions, she is now planning to launch her own television channel and a newspaper.
Banerjee said today that she would start a television channel and a newspaper to disseminate correct information and publicise the activities and achievements of the government.
She said, “I have already told my ministers that I want to start a channel and a newspaper for the West Bengal government.”
“No matter how many good deeds we do, they are not broadcast in the right way, instead are broadcast negatively… That is why I think we have to do something good ourselves and that is why we have taken the decision to show the work done in West Bengal…We need our own news channel and paper to inform the people,” Banerjee said at a convention in Kolkata.
Last month, Banerjee had drawn criticism after her government came out with a list of newspapers to be kept at the state-run libraries, keeping out some prominent English dailies out of the list.
Last Thursday, she advised people in her state not to watch “some news channels”; they should instead watch entertainment channels. “Do not watch the two television channels that are spreading falsehood against us, watch Star Jalsa, Tara and Channel 10,” she had said while addressing a government programme in North 24 Parganas.
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.
