News Broadcasting
Hot Bird 8 Satellite begins commercial service
MUMBAI: The Hot Bird 8 broadcast satellite of Eutelsat Communications has gone into commercial service at 13 degrees East. The satellite has 64 Ku-band transponders which span the entire range of frequencies used at Eutelsat’s Hot Bird 8 neighbourhood for broadcasting more than 950 television channels and 550 radio stations to over 113 million homes.
The size and configuration of Hot Bird 8 enables Eutelsat to increase in-orbit redundancy at its premium video neighbourhood and releases Hot Bird 3 for its new mission at 10 degrees East, informs an official release.
Built by EADS Astrium and launched on 5 August from the Baikonour Cosmodrome, Hot Bird 8’s scheduled in-orbit life is expected to exceed 15 years. Following launch and manoeuvres to bring the satellite into geostationary orbit, HOT BIRD(TM) 8 completed an exhaustive round of in-orbit tests at 1.7 degrees East.
These were followed by a series of digital video and data transmissions at 4 degrees East, which is a future operational position for the Group.
Now released from its mission at 13 degrees East, Hot Bird 3 will begin transfer operations for its relocation to its new position at 10 degrees East where it is scheduled to begin service later in October under the name of Eurobird 10, the release adds.
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.
