News Broadcasting
NDTV’s media disclaimer on case with Quantum Securities
NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Television has asked the media not to publish any defamatory advertisement or publication of any nature whatsoever etc by Quantum Securities Private Limited or its directors/associates in connection with and/or pertaining to and/or relating to NDTV, its senior officials and promoters in a contempt application filed by the channel in Bombay High Court in a case pending in that Court.
The case against Sanjay Dutt, Quantum Securities Private Limited and its directors Om Prakash Arora, Neraaj Dewan and Sandeep Dutt was filed last year.
The directive was sent to the media by NDTV advocates Amarchand and Mangaldas and Suresh A Shroff and Co.
While issuing notice to Quantum as to why action under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act shall not be initiated against respondents for committing violation of the orders dated 6 August 2013 and 26 February 2014, the Court in an interim order restrained Quantum or its directors from issuing any advertisements, defamatory letters, notices, e-mails, or any publication whatsoever relating to the case.
The matter has been fixed for 8 December.
The judge said his attention had been drawn to the advertisement given by the respondents in the national daily newspaper ‘The Economic Times’ in New Delhi in Edition dated 30 October 2014 alleging that the NDTV had not disclosed facts and events in the presentation and also on NDTV website.
It is stated that the Department of Income Tax, Government of India vide its final assessment order dated 21 February 2014 for AY 2009-2010 raised fresh demand of Rs 450 crore which has not been disclosed which was required to be disclosed. NDTV said this was defamatory.
The matter relates to an alleged Memorandum of Understanding of September 2006 and an agreement dated 1 July 2007 (as stated by NDTV senior counsel R M Kadam in court) executed between NDTV and Sanjay Dutt and Sanjay Jain whereby NDTV engaged services for providing strategic and financial advisory services; corporate finance; investment management and strategic consultancy. It is alleged by NDTV that under this agreement an amount of Rs 2,60,00,000 was paid by the Plaintiff to Dutt and Jain.
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.
