News Broadcasting
Mongolia launches media ethics council
MUMBAI: Mongolia has launched a Media Ethics Council, which will he headed by Mongol TV CEO Nomin Chinbat as chairperson.
Over the past year, journalists, editors, broadcasters, business owners and academia came together as an informal group called The Media Council Club of Mongolia and evolved into the official Mongolian Media Ethics Board. The Council will protect citizens against unethical reporting in the media and raise awareness about the importance of truthful reporting while monitoring the implementation of an ethics code for journalists. Lastly, the council will mediate between dissatisfied readers and the media.
The Council consists of 15 board members and a chairperson, while the Ethics Committee will have 15 members each in two divisions – broadcast and radio; print and online media who will mediate on complaints made by the public about the media. The Freedom House has labeled Mongolian media as “partly free” in 2014. There have been 297 civil and 16 criminal cases recorded from 1999 to 2011 in Mongolia.
“Mongolia’s media industry is changing by taking a positive step forward, and creating the first-ever ethics council. I am honoured that my Mongolian colleagues put their trust in me as their first chairperson. The illustrious Board and I will strive to ensure all Mongolian journalists and broadcasters utilise ethical and high quality standards. We want Mongolian citizens to trust our media and know that we are reporting in a truthful and unbiased manner,” said Chinbat.
Scholars in global media hail the importance of self-regulation in media and how it plays a pivotal role in upholding freedom of expression and protecting citizens from media misconduct.
Former communication regulator, now media NGO leader Tamir Ukhnaa said, “The newly set up ethics council will help journalists from criminal prosecution while defending public’s right to free and unbiased reporting and overall raise the bar of reporting quality in Mongolia.”
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.
