News Broadcasting
NBF welcomes Supreme Court reprieve to Arnab Goswami
MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to protect NBF president and Republic Media Network’s editor-in-chief and founder Arnab Goswami from arrest.
“It is a clear indication that truth will prevail and the faith in the judiciary is something we as a body always take pride in. There was an attempt to intimidate Arnab Goswami by filing more than 100 FIRs which hasn’t deterred him from performing his duty to his best of knowledge and the show will continue to raise issues which concern the common man and affect his livelihood,” NBF stated in its release.
"NBF is also pleased with the order that refused to place restraint or restrictions on the media, thus upholding the freedom of expression and press freedom," said, NBF secretary general R Jai Krishna.
"We wholeheartedly welcome the Supreme Court's verdict granting three weeks of interim protection and no coercive action against Arnab Goswami. The apex court ruling is a body blow to the Congress party's attempt at muzzling the freedom of the press in general and Republic TV in particular" said Riniki B. Sharma, chairperson and managing director, Pride East Entertainments
“It’s a great relief to see the country’s highest judiciary giving Arnab protection from arrest and it’s a welcome decision” said Fourth Dimension Media CEO Shankar B.
"This is a big victory for the media and the judiciary has once again saved the media from being intimidated from the politicians or governments. We stand by Arnab and believe he will come out stronger after this." said Sanjive Narain, founder, Prag News (Assam).
"Any form of physical attack, abuse or instigation for violence against a journalist should be condemned. Journalists are duty-bound to report on facts without fear. The freedom of the fourth estate is the basic tenet of any democratic society. Goswami’s attackers should be prosecuted as per the law and the authorities should ensure that the goons do not get away." said iTV Network founder Kartikeya Sharma.
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.
