News Broadcasting
News channels to exercise restraint in coverage of birth of Abhi-Aish child
NEW DELHI: Television news channels have made a special case for coverage of Big B‘s family matters. In a rare show of concern for protecting privacy, the Broadcast Editors Association (BEA) has called for restraint among the media for coverage of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai‘s first child.
Rai, 38, is due to give birth to her first child this month.
When contacted by indiantelevision.com, BEA VP Pankaj Pachauri denied that this had been done at the behest of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry or Amitabh Bachchan.
He said the aim of the guidelines issued by BEA is to ensure that there is no meaningless sensationalism around the story.
The guidelines say that there will be no pre-coverage of the event and the story of birth of the baby is to be run only after, and on basis of, an official announcement. The story will not run on breaking news band.
It has been stated that no camera or OB vans will be stationed at the hospital or any other location related to the story, and will go for photo opportunity or press conference only if invited.
The media will not carry any MMS, or photo of the child, or do any astrology show on this issue. The duration of any story should be around a minute/ninety seconds and there should be no astrology show associated with the dates 11.11.11. Media will not be permitted unauthorised entry into the hospital.
Meanwhile, Sr Bachchan yesterday denied in a tweet having requested the Ministry to issue guidelines to television channels for the coverage of his daughter-in-law‘s delivery.
The tweet in reply to a query by a mediaperson said: “I&B and media matter! Firstly I have no such intention ever; secondly do you really think I&B would listen to me? No way baby! But more interesting stuff coming in on this topic! Apparently media has been told by I&B to not have OB Vans outside hospitals! But wait! Yesterday a journalist from electronic sent me SMS, which indicated that this decision was from the electronic media. That news came to me via a journalist … so someone put two and two together and made it Bachchan … Ha ha ha !!!”
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.
