News Broadcasting
Intelsat signs 3-yr contract with Portugal pubcaster
MUMBAI: Intelsat has singed a three-year contract with Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP), Portugal’s State broadcaster, under which Intelsat will provide end-to-end international distribution of RTP content to Europe, Africa and Latin America.
This was announced by Intelsat at the IBC show in Amsterdam on 10 September.
Advisor to the board of directors at RTP Luis Quaresma said “We needed a highly reliable satellite network with global coverage to ensure an end-to-end, high-quality signal was preserved during international transmission.
“To this end, we extended our contracts with Intelsat, as we knew that its expertise and state-of-the-art video distribution network could easily accommodate our evolving international requirements.”
“Intelsat has made a strong commitment to efficiently serve the broadcast market, as demonstrated by the enhancement of our state-of-the-art network and provision of a specific video operations centre that is staffed all day, every day by people who know the broadcast business well and can make transmissions happen on a moment’s notice,” said Ramu Potarazu, COO, Intelsat Ltd.
“Intelsat is a serious player in the international distribution market; we have designed our network to specifically support broadcasters that need creative, innovative and reliable services and solutions.”
Intelsat, packaging teleport services with capacity on the IS-706, IS-805 and IS-907 satellites, is providing completely digital, end-to-end network services for cable, system master antenna television and direct broadcasting of RTP’s bouquet of International, themed channels to millions of viewers.
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.
