News Broadcasting
Supreme Court reserves order on Arnab Goswami’s plea to quash FIR
MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has reserved the orders on the writ petition filed by Republic TV managing director and editor in chief Arnab Goswami for quashing a FIR filed against him for allegedly disturbing communal harmony over the gathering of a large number of migrants in Bandra in Mumbai.
A bench, comprising Justice DY Chandrachud and MR Shah, provided interim protection to Arnab from coercive action in the FIR till the judgement is delivered. The protection from arrest granted to Arnab on 24 April shall continue to remain in operation until the apex court delivers the judgement in the next two days.
Arnab had sought the transfer of the case to the CBI, expressing doubts over the impartiality of the Mumbai police. His lawyer argued that the probe by the Mumbai police has a "chilling effect" on press freedom.
“What is the point we are arguing for? They are trying to stifle an unpleasant voice. The real purpose is to teach a journalist a lesson, by asking very silly questions during the investigation in the case… The whole thing was to teach me (Arnab) and my profession a lesson. However, I made it clear that we did our duty, nothing wrong in that,” Adv Harish Salve, appearing for Arnab Goswami, argued.
The FIR was filed under various sections of the IPC, which include for promoting enmity between different groups, outraging religious feelings of any class of citizens, etc.
Earlier, the apex court had given Arnab two week’s protection from arrest in the case of a series of FIRs filed against him in various courts in the country.
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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.
