News Broadcasting
Arianespace launches 2 birds, readies for more launches in August
Arianespace has successfully launched two communications satellites: Stellat 5, built by Alcatel Space for the new Stellat joint venture; and N-STAR c, produced by American manufacturers Orbital Sciences Corporation and Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Japanese telecom giant NTT DoCoMo. Both satellites were launched last Friday within minutes of each other.
Flight 153, which carried the ninth and tenth payloads carried by Arianespace this year, was the ninth commercial launch of the Ariane 5 launcher. Arianespace has signed up eight new payloads so far this year. Flight 153 was performed by an Ariane 5 launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The Stellat 5 is the first satellite to be deployed by Stellat, a joint venture formed in January 2001 by France Telecom and Europe*Star, a subsidiary of Alcatel Space and Loral Space & Communications, with the former holding a 70 per cent stake in the JV.. The Stellat 5 satellite was built by Alcatel Space, using the Spacebus 3000 B3 platform. It will be positioned at 5 degrees West, and is equipped with 35 Ku-band and 10 C-band transponders. Stellat 5 will help bolster the IP and video transmission services offered by France Telecom and Europe*Star in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, specially Internet access with a satellite return channel.
N-STAR c, a mobile telephony satellite, was launched for the American companies Orbital Sciences Corp and Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems as part of a turnkey contract with Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, which supplied the payload and was responsible for integration. Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. provided the platform and ground facilities, and will handle satellite positioning in orbit. Fitted with 20 S-band transponders and one C-band transponder, N-STAR c will expand the mobile telephony services offered by NTT DoCoMo throughout Japan, says Arianespace.
The next Ariane mission Flight 155, is slated for late August. An Ariane 5 will boost two satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: Atlantic Bird 1 for Alenia Spazio, and Eumetsat’s MSG 1 meteorological spacecraft. Atlantic Bird 1 satellite will be used and operated by Eutelsat as part of its fleet. It will be positioned in geostationary orbit at 12.5 degrees West, above the Atlantic Ocean.
Built by Alenia Spazio, this satellite will be optimised to provide broadcast services, telecommunications and IP based networks. With a mass at lift-off of about 2 700 kg, it will provide 24 active Ku-band transponders with coverage over Europe and the Eastern coast of the Americas. The satellite will have an operating lifetime of about 15 years.
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.
