News Broadcasting
Sudarshan News’ UPSC Jihad show offensive, breached Programme Code: MIB to SC
NEW DELHI: In an affidavit presented to the Supreme Court of India, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has stated that Sudarshan News’ controversial programme Bindas Bol – UPSC Jihad is “against good taste and decency, attacks religious communities, and contains defamatory and obscene half-truths.”
"The ministry is of the opinion that while freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right, the tone and tenor of the episodes telecast do indicate that the channel has, through the various utterances and audio-visual content, breached the programme code," MIB stated in the affidavit.
The ministry has not barred the airing of future episodes of Bindas Bol, but issued guidelines to Sudarshan TV to prevent any Programme Code violation, by ensuring that the show doesn’t offend against "good taste or decency"; doesn’t contain anything "false, defamatory, suggestive innuendoes or half-truths"; and doesn’t attack "religions or communities."
It further cautioned Sudarshan News to be careful henceforth, and if any violation of the Programme Code happens in future, the channel will be subjected to strict penal action.
“The channel should review the content of the future episodes of the programme Bindas Bol – UPSC Jihad and the audio-visual content should be suitably moderated and modified, so as to ensure there is no violation of Programme Code,” the MIB said.
The Delhi high court had stayed the telecast of the programme on August 28 and the next day had disposed of the plea with a direction to the ministry to take a decision on the prohibition of the show. It was directed to the channel and its editor to not broadcast the show till such time as the ministry makes its decision.
On 15 September, the apex court had put on hold the telecast of the show. Then on 26 October, the ministry told the apex court that it was ready with its order in relation to a show-cause notice issued to Sudarshan TV based on the recommendation of an inter-ministerial group, which had viewed all the episodes of the channel’s Bindas Bol programme.
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.
