News Broadcasting
Thackeray wants CAS in Delhi first
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena stance on CAS remains unsoftened. Shiv Sena supremo chief Bal Thackeray, who had reportedly eased up on his objections to conditional access during his meeting with information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday, has reiterated that his party continues to be opposed to CAS.
Thackeray now wants CAS to be first implemented in Delhi before it is taken to other cities, including his preserve, Mumbai. In a statement, Thackeray said in a statement, Implement CAS first in the national capital. If its successful there, then we will see about carrying it out in Mumbai.
The Sena supremo maintains that his talks with the minister remained inconclusive, while Prasad had on Friday, told the media that he had Thackeray’s blessings for CAS once his concerns about protecting consumers were assuaged.
Thackeray has in his statement said that he had told the minister that the Sena would not accept CAS just because the government had taken a decision on it. He made it clear that his party would consider agreeing to set-top boxes only if the interests of consumers and cable operators were protected.
The Sena chief warned that the government would have to pay a heavy price for forcing people to buy set-top boxes worth Rs 6,000. He had, last week, told the media that the government had struck a deal with a UK-based business magnate to dump set-top boxes in India.
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.
