News Broadcasting
News Corp’s top legal adviser to step down
MUMBAI: The Rupert Murdoch owned media conglomerate News Corporation has announced that Arthur M. Siskind will retire as group general counsel at the end of the year.
Lawrence A. Jacobs will succeed him as the company’s top legal adviser. The 65 year old Siskind has been group general counsel since 1991. Jacobs has served as deputy group general counsel since 1996.
Jacobs will become a senior executive VP at News Corp and a member of the office of the chairman. Jacobs will also replace Siskind as general counsel of Fox Entertainment Group. Siskind will however remain on News Corp’s board of directors and will continue to serve the company as a senior advisor to the chairman.
Rupert Murdoch who serves as News Corp’s chairman and CEO said, “For more than 30 years, Arthur has been one of the true driving forces in the growth and success of this company. Since 1973, when he first helped News Corporation acquire the San Antonio Express and News, there hasn’t been a single deal or significant corporate development, that didn’t bear Arthur’s firm imprint.
“He is a man of unbending principles, a man of integrity, and most importantly, a good and trusted friend. I am lucky to have had him at my side for all these years and I am glad to be able to call on him as an advisor in the future.
“I’m delighted that Arthur’s longtime deputy, Lon Jacobs, will become our new Group General Counsel. Lon is a lawyer of exceptional skill and creativity who has already made an outstanding contribution to the growth of News Corp. in his eight years at the company. I feel certain that Lon will leave a significant mark on News Corp in the years ahead as he leads our team of highly regarded lawyers.”
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.
