News Broadcasting
NDTV raids not connected with press freedom, says South Asia scribes club
NEW DELHI: Even as senior mediapersons rallied behind NDTV following raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation and several media bodies held protest meetings, the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia pointed out that the Government and CBI have said the raids had nothing to do with freedom of press.
In a terse statement, the FCC also pointed out that the Press Club of India and other organisations had not invited it to join the protest rallies. However, it said ‘We are for the freedom of the press.”
Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu had last week denied any political interference in the CBI raids on NDTV’s Prannoy Roy, and said that the law would take its own course.
The CBI had registered a case against the pioneers of Indian television NDTV founder Roy and Radhika Roy for causing an alleged loss to a bank. Searches were reportedly conducted at the residence of the Roys in New Delhi and three other places including Dehradun.
Naidu had told reporters: “If somebody does something wrong, but simply because they belong to media, you cannot expect the government to keep quiet.”
Stressing that the media is free and independent, he said the officials were doing their duty. “The CBI might have received some information. That is why they have taken action,” Naidu said.
Also read :
Update: No politics in raids at NDTV offices, CBI must have received some info, says Naidu
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.
