News Broadcasting
News channels in new organization to promote ethical journalism
NEW DELHI: A number of Indian television news channels have tied up with the government and various agencies to put together a unified platform for ensuring ethical journalism and to look at a collective solution for ridding the industry of the various problems that continue to plague it without a workable solution in sight.
S.K. Gupta (from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh’s channel TV100) is the chairman of the All India News Broadcasters Association, while I.D. Garg (of Khabarein Abhi Tak) and Vikram Nevar (Tazaa TV, Kolkata) are the vice chairmen.
The new organization, comprising heads and owners of small and medium news channels, held its election meeting under the interim chairmanship of Anil Gaba of Total TV.
The first committee, with a two-year tenure, was elected and put in place to take the agenda of the association further.
The other members of the new committee are:
General Secretary – Patiala based Channel 2’s Tejinder Pal Singh
Secretary – SMBC Insight’s Dr. Prakash Sharma
Treasurer – Khabarein Abhi Tak’s I.D. Garg
Member-Working Committee – Khabar Fast’s A.K. Samaa, Azad News’ MS Walia
An interim committee was formed in June 2014. The elections followed the formal process of applying to the government for the registration of the association, and getting the association formally registered by the registrar of societies.
Speaking on the Association, secretary Prakash Sharma said, “The association will work towards creating a level playing field in the country at par with the national news channels. Apart from focusing on the problems of the industry, the association will work towards ensuring clean and ethical journalism, and work towards curbing paid news and ensuring guidelines for self-regulation. The association will also work towards creating a platform for news syndication and exchange amongst member organisations, collective marketing and distribution.”
The All India News Broadcasters association will also act as a unified body working in conjunction with the government and representing the views, issues and concerns of the broadcasting industry, and play an exemplary role in finding workable solutions.
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.
