News Broadcasting
NDTV moves Delhi HC challenging CBI raids
NEW DELHI: The Prannoy Roy family-promoted NDTV has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the raids conducted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the residence of its promoters.
In a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange, the company said, “NDTV and its promoter company filed a writ in the Delhi High Court (on 6 July 2017) challenging the CBI raids and the FIR (first information report) issued by CBI. NDTV is pleased that the court has directed the CBI to submit a status report by 21 September, 2017.”
The publicly traded company, which also at one time had investments from American company GE via a group media company for a venture, further informed the stock markets it would not like to comment on the matter further as it was “now sub- judice”.
In June 2017, the CBI had raided the residence of the Roy family alleging that the promoters and a private company linked to the Roys, RRPR Holding Private Ltd, were involved in defrauding a private sector bank, ICICI Bank, and allegedly causing it losses involving loans extended in 2008.
The raids had come within a few days after a female NDTV news anchor had politely ticked off a belligerent spokesperson from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the lead political party in the NDA government that rules the country, during a TV debate, which had prompted a large section of the Indian society, including the Roys, to dub the raids by federal investigating agency as a “witch hunt” against media not toeing a government-handed political narrative.
Minister for information and broadcasting M. Venkaiah Nadu, however, last month had brushed aside criticism relating to government efforts to muzzle a free media saying the CBI raids and media freedom were two unconnected issues.
For NDTV — considered a sort of media nursery for TV journalism in India after the country allowed in mid-1990s private sector players to enter the business of broadcasting dominated till then by pubcaster Doordarshan and All India Radio — this was not the first brush with controversy. Earlier also unsubstantiated allegations relating to financial misdeeds had been leveled against NDTV and some group companies.
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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.
