News Broadcasting
MP, Odisha & Bihar declare journalists frontline workers; Centre still mum
KERALA: As the second wave of Covid2019 continues to wreak havoc in India, the states of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar have declared journalists as frontline workers, so that the media community can avail prioritised vaccination against the deadly pathogen.
“Corona vaccine will be given to journalists on a priority basis in the state. Journalists [are] doing their best during these pandemic times. They are making people aware of the dangers associated with coronavirus infection,” tweeted Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday.
राज्य में पत्रकारों को प्राथमिकता के आधार पर कोरोना का टीका लगाया जायेगा। कोरोना संक्रमण के दौर में पत्रकार अपनी भूमिका का बेहतर निवर्हन कर रहे हैं। वे कोरोना संक्रमण के खतरों के प्रति लोगों को जागरूक कर रहे हैं।
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) May 2, 2021
After classifying scribes as frontline warriors, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said that news mediapersons in the country are working hard to provide seamless newsfeed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision from these two states comes at a time when the Editors Guild of India has urged the central government to assign journalists frontline worker status.
“Few weeks ago, EGI had demanded that journalists be declared as frontline workers and be vaccinated on priority to protect them from the new variant. Despite the support from various state governments and media organisations, the central government has not responded to this request. Now, even though vaccination has been technically opened for all above 18 years of age, there is an acute shortage of vaccines. Therefore the Guild’s urgent demand that journalists be given priority along with other frontline workers,” said the Guild in a recent statement.
The body also urged all media organisations in the nation to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of their men and women in the field and in newsrooms.
A few days back, the Uttarakhand government had also classified journalists as frontline workers. The state’s CM Tirath Singh Rawat has ordered the vaccination of all journalists and representatives of media organisations.
Last week, India reached the grim milestone of 4 lakh new Covid cases reported in a single day. On May 2, the country recorded over 3,68,000 fresh cases and 3,417 deaths. The total number of active cases in the country is now at 34,13,642.
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.
