News Broadcasting
US parents favour limiting sex, violence on TV in the early evening
MUMBAI: With recent studies suggesting that television has an impact on teen violence and sex in American society, it should come as no surprise that concerned parents want the content toned down.
A majority of parents in the US have expressed concern about the amount of sex (60 per cent) and violence (53 per cent) their children are exposed to on TV.
According to a survey released by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 63 per cent of the respondents said that they favour new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence in TV shows during the early evening. At that time children are most likely to be watching. Thirty five per cent have opposed the suggestion.
Television a greater threat than other media: Is the idiot box having a more harmful effect on kids than surfing the net or watching movies? Yes. Overall parents are more concerned about inappropriate content on TV than in other media. Thirty four per cent have indicated that TV concerns them the most, compared to 16 per cent who cited the Internet. Ten per cent cited the cinema, seven per cent music, and five per cent video games. Half of all the parents surveyed have stated that they have used the TV ratings to help guide their children’s viewing,
While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had raised a big noise over the infamous Janet Jackson incident at this year’s Super Bowl, only 17 per cent of the parents were ‘very’ concerned about the impact of the incident on their children.
The survey is titled Parents, Media, and Public Policy. Nearly 1001 parents were surveyed through the telephone from 12 July to 3 August 2004. Fifty five per cent of the parents said that ratings should be displayed more prominently and 57 per cent said that they would rather keep the current rating systems than switch to a single rating for TV, movies, video games, and music.
When read the competing arguments for subjecting cable TV to the same content standards as broadcasters, half of all the parents said that cable should be treated the same.
Parents are satisfied with the prevalent ratings system. Fifty two per cent of the respondents said that most TV shows are rated accurately. Four in ten said that most are not.
Lack of awareness over TV ratings guidelines: What is worrying however is that many parents don’t understand what the various ratings guidelines mean. For example only 28 per cent of parents of young children (2-6 years old) know what the rating TV-Y7 means. It means that the show is suitable for kids aged over seven.
In fact 13 per cent were under the notion that it meant the opposite (directed to children under 7). Also only 12 per cent know that the rating FV means fantasy violence and that it is related to violent content. On the contrary eight per cent think that FV means “family viewing.”
The general level of awareness among parents about what constitutes healthy viewing seems limited. A mere six per cent of parents with children under the age of two are aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children at that age not be exposed to TV at all.
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.
