News Broadcasting
Intelsat completes acquisition of Comsat General’s business
MUMBAI: Intelsat has announced that it has completed its acquisition of the customer contracts and other assets of end-to-end communications services integrator Comsat General Corporation for approximately $90 mn in cash.
The deal, which includes the rights to FCC and other licenses, enhances Intelsats competitive position in serving the US and NATO users with satellite capacity and managed satellite-based services.
Comsat General has been providing satellite-centric telecommunications services and equipment for more than 30 years, concentrating on clients with quick-response and high-availability needs, informs a company release.
This business generated approximately $156 mn in revenue in 2003.
“Intelsat is a recognized leader in the provision of secure satellite capacity to both commercial and government clients, with a managed services business that has grown dramatically to address their end-to-end needs,” said Intelsat, Ltd. chief executive officer Conny Kullman.
“This acquisition brings us closer to key customers and creates new opportunities to increase the sale of core satellite capacity,” says Kullman.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
