News Broadcasting
Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami sent to judicial custody for 14 days till Nov 18
New Delhi: Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami’s problems does not seem to be coming to an end. Yesterday, in a big spectacle, Mumbai Police arrested him in abetment to suicide case. Soon after his arrest, there were reactions from different stakeholders of the industry and bureaucrats and many of them condemned the manner in which Mumbai Police had acted. Ministers, celebrities, lawyers, and broadcaster associations called upon the Maharashtra government to ensure a fair investigation in the matter without exercising powers of the government on media.
In the latest development, Arnab Goswami has been sent to a 14 day judicial custody until 18 November. Media reports say that Goswami was presented before a magistrate in the evening and a court in Alibaug passed the order. However, the court turned down the plea for police custody.
Reports also mention that Mumbai Police has registered FIR against Goswami, his wife, son and two others for allegedly assaulting police official. It will also start an enquiry against the officer who had earlier investigated abetment to suicide case in which Goswami was arrested today. The investigating officer had filed closure report, saying there was no evidence.
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According to the reports, the case goes back to 2018 when the architect Avnay Naik, and his mother committed suicide in 2018 over alleged non-payment of dues by Republic TV. In 2018, the Alibaug police had filed a case of abetment to suicide but in 2019 the case was closed by Raigad Police. In May 2020, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh announced a fresh CID investigation into the case after Adnya Naik, daughter of Avnay Naik, approached him.
However, ARG Outlier Media has completely trashed the case finds it shocking that a case that was decisively closed has been reopened with the sole purpose of misusing power, concocting facts and forcefully arresting Arnab Goswami in a prima facie act of revenge and vengeance for his news coverage which questioned those in power in the state of Maharashtra. It further mentioned that the ARG Outlier Media had paid 90 per cent of its dues to the company of the deceased as per the terms of agreement. The remaining sum was to be paid on completion of the pending work, which has since not been undertaken. Repeated attempts were made by ARG Outlier Media to make the balance payment to CDPL, for full and final settlement of all claims.
It must be noted that these developments are taking place amid the investigations of the ongoing TRP scam that saw Mumbai Police – Maharashtra government at loggerheads with Goswami on multiple occasions. The two sides have been repeatedly attacking each other.
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.
