News Broadcasting
Intelsat looks to buy broadband satellite system
Intelsat has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purchase of a next-generation broadband satellite system as a key component of the organisation’s initiative to address growing IP market demands worldwide, Ramu Potarazu, chief technology officer, announced on Monday, according to a company news release.
The RFP includes one geostationary Ku/Ka-band satellite operating in a bent pipe configuration, with options for up to four more spacecraft. The system is expected to support last-mile access for small and affordable user terminals as well as customers who target small and medium enterprises and small office-home office users. The organisation’s goal is for the contract to be awarded by the fall, with deployment expected to occur in 2004.
Along with the RFP, Intelsat is looking at other opportunities to address broadband business issues. Included are current and upcoming services on its existing satellite fleet, as well as a continuing investigation of new system alternatives, Potarazu says.
“Responses to the RFP will help us to further solidify our strategy for acquiring next-generation broadband infrastructure, so this is an important step in Intelsat’s plan to build on our communications industry experience to meet evolving market needs,” says Potarazu. “The combination of the next-generation equipment and the new services being developed on our existing fleet is expected to ensure the company’s long-term ability to not only meet those needs, but also do it in ways that will give users a leg up on the competition.”
Intelsat already has 10 satellites on order, representing a total investment of more than $3.2 billion for launches planned from this year through 2003.
Intelsat presently offers Internet, broadcast, telephony and corporate network solutions around the globe through a fleet of 19 satellites.
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.
