News Broadcasting
Intelsat’s ORBIT act amendment becomes law
MUMBAI: Intelsat has announced that, as on 25 October 2004, an amendment to the open-market reorganisation for the betterment of International telecommunications act (ORBIT act) became law.
The act had previously required Intelsat to dilute the ownership interests of its former signatories through an initial public offering (IPO).
According to a company release, the amendment permits Intelsat to comply with the dilution objectives of the ORBIT Act by means other than an IPO.
Speaking on the development, Intelsat CEO Conny Kullman said, “This change in the law was a wise decision by Congress, ensuring that a stated purpose of the ORBIT act is achieved while at the same time allowing us the flexibility to determine the form of transaction that is most appropriate for our company. Intelsat’s acquisition by the private equity consortium backing Zeus Holdings Limited is expected to be complete within a few months, after which we believe our company will have fully satisfied the requirements of the ORBIT act.”
“If the FCC determines that we have met the criteria set forth in the amended ORBIT Act, we will no longer expect to face ORBIT-related licensing restrictions, allowing us the freedom to sell and develop our services, including DTH. This will put Intelsat on a more level playing field with our competitors while offering customers more high-quality choices when procuring DTH platforms, ” he added in the released.
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.
