News Broadcasting
TV reporter killed while covering major fire in Delhi
NEW DELHI: Mediaperson Ajay Tiwari, 34, was killed when he was covering a major fire at a factory-cum-godown in Dabri in south west Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.
Tiwari who was working for Sahara Samay for the past four years, is survived by his wife and a three-year old son.
In a condolence message, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said in Tiwari’s death, journalism has lost a promising talent. Tiwari died in the line of his duty maintaining the highest tradition of television journalism, the Minister added.
Madan Mohan, a cameraman with India News who was standing close to Tiwari, suffered injuries on his hands in the incident.
According to police, firemen who were already at the spot to douse the blaze took Tiwari out of the debris.
The police said that Tiwari got trapped inside the debris of a portion of the factory wall that collapsed after a cylinder blast in the factory.
“Tiwari, the field reporter with Sahara Samay, was covering the event for the channel when debris fell from the first floor of the building due to a cylinder blast,” said a senior fire official.
“Both were rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where Tiwari succumbed to his injuries during treatment while Mohan is recuperating and is stated to be out of danger,” added the fire official.
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.
