News Broadcasting
Pakistan broadcaster Aaj TV joins Asiasat platform
MUMBAI: Asian satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company (Asiasat) and Pakistan’s Recorder Television Network have signed a lease agreement.
As per this the Pakistan company will use C-band capacity on AsiaSat 3S to broadcast Pakistan channel, Aaj TV to all local networks in Pakistan and its overseas audience across the Asia Pacific region.
Aaj TV is broadcasting on AsiaSat 3S. It offers a mix of news, current affairs and entertainment programming in Urdu and English to local audiences, as well as Pakistani communities throughout Asia and the Middle East.
Recorder Television Network director marketing and operations Aamir Khan said, “AsiaSat 3S is our first choice because it offers the region’s most attractive broadcast platform. Its high-power and region-wide coverage enables us to reach national and regional audiences effectively at the same time. In addition, AsiaSat 3S’s enormous ground penetration in Pakistan and other parts of Asia will give us instantaneous access to many cable headends, rebroadcasters, hotels and home viewers already served by this powerful satellite.”
Asiasat CEO Peter Jackson said, “We are very pleased to welcome Aaj TV onboard. Our client is a long established leader in Business News in the region. Our partnership with Aaj TV will offer our audience across Asia a new and exciting viewing experience.”
AAJ TV will be available on AsiaSat 3S in C-band with the following reception parameters:
Transponder: 3V
Frequency: 3750 MHz
Polarisation: Vertical
Modulation: QPSK
Symbol Rate: 2.82 Msym/sec
FEC: 3/4
Aaj TV employs over 350 employees and has fully equipped bureaus in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Aaj TV claims to be the only private digital satellite channel to have an Earth Station in Pakistan that broadcasts directly to the AsiaSat 3S.
Aaj TV provides round the clock news coverage from around the world in collaboration with partner news sources in more than 100 countries. Combining news reporting with analytical strengths provided by social and political commentators in Pakistan accounts for in depth and precise current affairs shows. On the Entertainment front, industry veterans are heading the teams and using production facilities in Pakistan to create programmes that star well known faces in Pakistani television.
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.
