News Broadcasting
Telecast blacked out even as Telangana formation gets Lok Sabha clearance
NEW DELHI: And suddenly the screens went dark at 3:03 pm. Yesterday’s black out of the telecast of the Lok Sabha proceedings on the passage of the Andhra Paradesh Reorganisation Bill 2014 has opened a hornet’s nest politically. The allegation is that democratic norms have been dustbinned and the Congress (I)-led UPA government’s move is reminiscent of the Emergency days of 1975 when the nation’s media was put on a leash and muzzled.
There was no clarity at the time of writing on who took the decision to black out the telecast of vote by voice of the controversial bill – which envisages the creation of the 29th Indian state of Telangana – from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Early reports were that the speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar ordered the switching off of the cameras and the transmission. But the speaker was silent on this issue. What muddied the waters further was a statement later in the evening by the Lok Sabha secretary general S. Bal Shekar that the switchoff happened on account of a technical glitch and that an investigation had been ordered.
Lok Sabha TV put out a message that the telecast would resume, which did not come to pass. TV news channels – which normally carry LS TV signals – instead chose to carry the proceedings in parliament on their tickers.
Almost every political party lambasted the disruption of the telecast. Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj called it a tactical glitch, even as TMC leader Mamta Banerjee said it smelled of hanky-panky. Telangana opponents called it the death of democracy.
But Telangana leaders said that the blackout was necessitated to prevent the unruly protests which have marred the proceedings over the past few days, and they did not want them to be retelecast worldwide as they were when pepper spray rained on members of parliament and knives were flashed on 13 February. Additionally, they stated that the Andhra Pradesh media are known to be sensationalist and that the footage could have been misused by the close to 20-odd Telugu news channels, which could have led to law and order problems there.
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.
