I&B Ministry
Radio City reports higher revenue & profits for first quarter
BENGALURU: India FM Radio company Music Broadcast Limited (MBL) or Radio City reported higher revenue and improved profits for the quarter ended 30 June 2017 (Q1-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1-17). The company reported 17.3 per cent higher total income for Q1-18 at Rs 703.1 million as compared to Rs 628.4 million in Q1-17. Total comprehensive income (TCI) for Q1-18 increased 42.3 per cent to Rs 108.4 million (14.5 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 76.2 million ((11.9 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17.
MBL’s operating profit (EBIDTA inclusive of other income) in the current quarter increased 13.7 per cent to Rs 217.7 million (29 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 191.5 million (30 per cent of Total Income) in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Profit after Tax or PAT in Q1-18 also increased 42.3 per cent to Rs 108.4 million (14.5 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 76.2 million (11.9 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17.
Total Expenditure for Q1-18 increased 11.7 per cent to Rs 584 million (77.9 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 522.7 million (81.8 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17. Other expense in Q1-18 increased 9.9 per cent to Rs 258.2 million (34.4 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 234.9 million (39.8 percent of Total Income) in the corresponding year ago qurter.
MBL paid 10.9 per cent more towards license fees for Q1-18 at Rs 51.9 million (6.9 per cent of Total Income) as compared to Rs 46.8 million (7 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17. Finance Costs in the current quarter declined 5.6 per cent to Rs 38.6 million (5.1 percent of Total Income) from Rs 40.9 million (6.4 per cent of Total Income) in Q1-17. Employee Costs in the current quarter increased 10.4 per cent to Rs 171.3 million (22.8 per cent of Total Income) from Rs 155.2 million (24.3 per cent of Total Income) in the previous year.
The company added eleven new stations acquired during Phase III auctions. All the 11 stations were operational for the entire quarter with utilization levels in new stations of 25 to 35 per cent. MBL says that 5 out of the 11 new stations were running at more than 30 per cent utilisation levels.
Company speak
Commenting on the results MBL director Apurva Purohit, said, “We have been able to deliver margins of approximately 32 per cent and show growth of 16 per cent despite additional operating cost of the new stations. This is because of rate hike in the legacy stations as well as better than expected utilization in the new markets. Our strategy of profitable growth and not bidding high costs for acquisition in Phase III along with maintaining lowest cost per million is delivery results. Going ahead in the future I see better utilization in our new stations supported by increased
utilization and price hike in our legacy stations. We are confident on maintaining our current level of EBITDA margins
and achieve our long term goal of profitable leadership.”
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I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
