News Broadcasting
‘Truthiness’, ‘Wikiality’ are top TV buzzwords of 2006
MUMBAI: Does American television influences English language? A question which has an answer as yes, to a great extent. “Truthiness” from the US television show Colbert Report was named the Top Tele Word of 2006 in the Global Language Monitor’s annual survey of words. This survey zeroes in on the words from American television that influence English language.
Another word, “Wikiality” from the same show followed “Truthiness”. And closely following these words were, “Katrina”, referring to the stories on television about the devastating destruction caused by the hurricane. “Katie” is another word in reference to US news anchor Katie Couric’s move into the top seat at CBS News, and Dr. McDreamy from ABC’s show Grey’s Anatomy.
Rounding out the top ten were “Bush’s War’, heard often on the news, “Man of the Hours” from the television show 24’s lead Keifer Sutherland, “Tourette’s”, from I have Tourette’s but Tourette’s doesn’t have me, “Dysfunctional” from another television show The Office. This year’s Bonus Phrase is ‘You’re going to Hollywood!’ from Simon Cowell’s American Idol.
Global Language Monitor president Paul JJ Payack says, “Television, once again, has helped to define our culture and its impact upon spoken English is profound. Some of these buzzwords will quickly pass, while others will be embedded in the language for years to come.
“Though ‘truthiness’ in some form has existed in the language for centuries, it could not have been revived in more relevant times than the early 21st century; while ‘Wikiality’ can be observed even today, where Pluto has been voted out of the Solar System by a convention of Astronomers.”
The Global Language Monitor analyses and catalogues the latest trends in word usage, their choices, and their impact on various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
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.
