News Broadcasting
Mumbai High Court to hear ‘cable case’ on 10 September
MUMBAI: It was quite inevitable but those were expecting to get a ruling got another date. A division bench of the Mumbai High Court comprising Chief Justice CL Thakker and Dr Dhananjay Chandrachud, after listening to arguments from both sides, proclaimed the next date of the ‘cable case’ hearing – 10 September.
However, several Mumbai-based lawyers are of the opinion that the central government’s dithering over the decision to postpone CAS (conditional access system) rollout in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata can be challenged.
On 3 September, there was intense confusion as one petition came up for hearing before noon; but several lawyers of concerned petitioners and respondents weren’t present; and it was decided to club the petition with the other petitions that were to be heard at 2:45 pm.
Finally, the union informed the court that the city had been given a 10-day grace period due to the ongoing festival of Ganesh Chaturti. Since CAS is not expected to happen till 10 September, the next hearing will also take place on the same date.
The indiantelevision.com team spoke to some lawyers and obtained reactions from them:
The president of an NGO Consumer Action Network lawyer Ahmad Abdi says: “The government must clearly clarify its stand. How can the government hesitate in implementing CAS when a law has been passed in the Parliament of the country – the highest legislative authority in the country?”
Talking about the partial implementation of CAS, Abdi says: “The government cannot discriminate between cities. How can the government cite the excuses such as political compulsions rather than administrative compuslions in the postponement of CAS rollout in Delhi? The government’s haphazard ways might have legal implications and consumers are suffering. Anyone who challenges the government’s decision will have a strong case as per the law.”
The lawyers representing the multi-system operators argued that the government must go ahead with CAS rollout.
Lawyer Janak Dwarkadas, who represents the multi system operator INCableNet also agrees: “The government’s stance is causing prejudice to the multi-system operators. Incidentally, INCableNet has invested millions in setting up CAS infrastructure. Moreover, several consumers have taken advantage of the earlier ruling and are abstaining from paying monthly cable rents. Yesterday, we argued in court and emphasised that the government must go ahead with the rollout of CAS in the various cities as specified in both the houses of the Parliament.”
Darshan Mehta of Dhruve Liladhar & Co, who represents BJP member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya says the court has decide to persist with its earlier ruling that the cable operators can charge 10 per cent more than the rates applicable as on 31 December 2002. “More importantly, the court has maintained that cable operators cannot disconnect connections of those who pay this amount. Now, we shall wait for the next hearing on 10 September,” adds Mehta.
It looks as if the court is taking its own time till there is more clarity amongst the various elements of the government, the I&B ministry and the politicians.
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.
