News Broadcasting
Study reveals long term impact of Jackson Super Bowl exposure
MUMBAI: As the first anniversary of Janet Jackson’s exposure during the Super Bowl half time show approaches a study commissioned by media watchdog the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) shows that millions of US children were severely traumatised by the event.
Child therapist Dr. Eli Wasserbaum has been quoted in media reports saying, “No one who lived through that day is likely to forget the horror But it was especially hard on the children.”
Jackson’s ‘tragic’ wardrobe malfunction occurred her and Justin Timberlake’s performance of “Rock Your Body,” when Timberlake tore Jackson’s costume, accidentally revealing her right breast.
According to the 500-page report filed by the FCC, more than 90 per cent of the children who saw the exposed breast said they were “confused and afraid.”
A five-year-old boy was quoted one of the FCC case studies saying, “Mommy has dirty chest bumps. She’s like the bad lady on TV. I’m afraid Mommy will take off her shirt and scare everyone. I hate Mommy.” Girls were traumatised as well, often expressing apprehensions about sexual development. One eight-year-old girl told her parents that she didn’t want to get evil breasts.
A great number of children who witnessed the event are still plagued by nightmares of sun-shapes that recall Jackson’s nipple ring. Of the infants who saw the breast, 76 per cent are unwilling to breast feed or use a bottle, forcing their parents to nourish them intravenously.
The therapist further noted that by the time CBS cut to an aerial view of the stadium, the damage was done. Wasserbaum said, “I’ve found that children can be amazingly resilient, but this event was too much for many of them to take. The horrible image of that breast is likely to haunt them for the rest of their lives.”
Cases of deviant sexual development induced by breast-glimpsing are widespread amongst older children. Pathologies range from schoolyard exhibitionism to gender-role confusion and violent shirt-tearing.
Super Bowl travels to China: On a more positive note the Super Bowl will be broadcast in China for the first time on Sunday.
A five-member crew from Shanghai Media Group (SMG) will be in Jacksonville to broadcast the game to China. This concludes the first season of a five-year deal that provides SMG with the rights to televise NFL programs on its family of channels.
Dragon TV will carry the Super Bowl between the defending champion New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL’s director of international media Michael Luscher said that this Super Bowl broadcast and the long-term partnership with SMG would help introduce the NFL to millions of potential fans in China.
Dragon TV will telecast the game and Chinese viewers can submit internet ballots to vote upon the Super Bowl MVP. Fan ballots from around the world will be counted for MVP honors for the first time.
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.
