News Broadcasting
PIB under deluge over photoshopped image of Modi’s Chennai aerial survey
NEW DELHI: Deluged by Twitter and other social media websites, the Government today apologised for the mistake in the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aerial survey over flooded Chennai caused by what it called “photoshopping” by merging two pictures “due to error of judgement.”
The photo had shown Modi looking out of the helicopter at very clear view of flooded houses in residential areas, which was not possible from a helicopter at the height at which it was said to be flying over the southern metro that has seen the worst rainfall since 1918.
The photograph was removed as soon as the error was realised, a senior official of the Press Information Bureau told Indiantelevision.com.
The photo was one of seven, which had been released on the PIB Twitter handle and PIB’s website last evening.
“PIB regrets the release of the picture. Inconvenience caused is regretted,” a post on the PIB website said.
Modi had made an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of Chennai, its suburbs and Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts. He arrived from Delhi at naval working station INS Rajali in Arakkonam, about 60 km from Chennai.
In fact, the photoshopped image is still appearing on many Twitter handles, raising several questions since private media is often not allowed to accompany the PM on such aerial surveys.
The faux pas led to a large number of comments and cast a shadow on the reliability of official media.
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.
