News Broadcasting
Trai exempts Chennai from CAS denotification list
NEW DELHI: Broadcast and telecom regulator today said that its order, ratified by the government, denotifying conditional access from the four metros would not be valid in Chennai as a court order has stayed the
denotification there.
AIt has also removed any distinction between CAS and non-CAS areas saying that for such erstwhile notified mandatory CAS areas,where CAS was not actually implemented, the ceiling of 26 December, 2003, will
continue.
Trai had frozen cable services rates as of 26 December till further notice. Subsequently, its recommendation to denotify CAS in the four metros for three months was also upheld by the government.
In a clarification note issued today, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)said, Except Chennai Metropolitan Area, where interim stay has been granted
by Madras (Chennai) high court in writ petition numbers 4863, 4890, 4936 and 4919 of 2004,the Order shall cover tariffs for all Telecommunication (Broadcasting and
Cable)Services throughout the territory of India as also those originating in India or outside India and terminating in India.
Trai has further stated that for those areas where CAS was implemented, like in Chennai, CAS may continue on a voluntary basis.
For erstwhile notified mandatory CAS areas where CAS was implemented, the Authority recognises that CAS may continue on a voluntary basis and in such a case the ceiling would again be the rates prevailing on 26 December, 2003,which the Authority recognises may have been lower than the rates in non-CASareas, the Trai note sates.
TRAI has added that the notification issued today is not applicable for Chennai Metropolitan Area on account of
stay granted by a local high court.
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.
