News Broadcasting
Isro to launch Insat-4C replacement by July 2007
MUMBAI: Soon after the failure of the GSLV-F02 launch rocket carrying the Insat-4C communication satellite, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has decided to act fast to meet the growing need for Ku-band transponders from the direct-to-home (DTH) sector.
Isro will be replacing Insat-4C, where Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Direct had booked seven high-power Ku-band transponders, with the launch of an identical satellite by July 2007. The satellite, Insat-4C(R), will be launched at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
Maran will have the option to take transponder space on that satellite for his DTH venture. But if he decides to launch the service earlier, Isro will make provisions on an alternate satellite which could be foreign or Indian. Insat-4B, which is meant for Doordarshan’s DTH service DD Direct Plus, is being launched early next year.
“We have the flexibility to accommodate Sun. If there is an early requirement, we can give them space on an Indian or foreign satellite,” says Isro contract management and legal services director SB Iyer. For DTH providers who want to operate from foreign satellites, Isro will have to provide the approval and lease it out for them.
Will Insat-4C(R) disturb the scheduling of Isro’s other satellite launches? “We plan to launch Insat-4C(R) by July 2007 from Sriharikota. It will have the same number of transponders as Insat-4C. The other satellite launches will be on schedule,” says Iyer.
Of the 12 Ku-band transponders Insat-4C would have carried, Sun TV had booked six for DTH and one for DSNG (digital satellite news gathering). While Isro plans to launch Insat-4D in 2006-07, Insat-4E is expected to go up by 2007-08.
Isro had earlier said that the failure of Insat-4C was “a brief setback” which it would correct by recasting its programmes to accelerate the Ku-band capacity growth.
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.
