News Broadcasting
Pakistan upset over News9 Plus expose on human rights violation in Balochistan
Mumbai: Reportedly the Pakistani government has taken to Twitter to express its displeasure with a News9 Plus expose on human rights violations in Balochistan.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) objected to the December 25, 2022, docu series, claiming that the story ‘Balochistan: Bangladesh 2.0’ violated Pakistani laws.
On February 5, Twitter contacted News9 Plus executive editor Aditya Raj Kaul, about the story. Kaul is the director of the docu series, for which a News9 Plus unit traversed Balochistan, overcoming obstacles posed by the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps.
The two part series examines the rise in alleged state-sponsored Baloch killings. Strategic experts and geopolitical observers have dubbed the troubled province a “Second Bangladesh,” a reference to East Pakistan, which declared independence in 1971.
The increase in violence is also attributed to Baloch rebels resentment of China’s investment plans in the province. Beijing is increasing its investments in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which runs through the province. As Balochistan’s resentment grows over the Chinese’s rejection of locals, violent attacks on Chinese nationals have increased in recent years.
Kaul said, “We have been investigating the human rights abuse and persecution of the Baloch people by the Pakistan Army and the ISI. While reporting the story, we spoke to activists, journalists and common people across the province collecting primary evidence of the gruesome torture and its conversion into a virtual Chinese colony. Pakistan’s objection to our Balochistan series is an attack on freedom of expression and only vindicates the questions that we have raised.”
Twitter has rejected the Pakistan government’s request to censor the News9 Plus story and upheld the right of journalists to express themselves freely on social media.
In October 2022, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) formed a team to track down and apprehend social media voices and journalists, including Aditya Raj Kaul for News9 Plus’s ‘Intercontinental Terrorist’ story on Mumbai 26/11 attacks mastermind and ISI asset Sajid Mir. Pakistan’s efforts to silence international media only demonstrate Islamabad’s desperation to conceal facts and keep Balochistan out of the spotlight.
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.
