News Broadcasting
Panamsat sets record with World Cup coverage
PanAmSat Corporation today announced that more than 24 top broadcasters, programmers and news agencies in over two-dozen countries are using the company global satellite network for delivery of the World Cup.
With more than 17,000 hours of video transmission time booked to date, it is the largest special events offering in PanAmSat history, a company release states. Through its coverage of the event, PanAmSat offers customers unparalleled global reach, state-of-the-art production and transmissions facilities, as well as the ability to uplink live directly from remote locations throughout Korea and Japan via mobile transmission units.
“Our global resources, in conjunction with the collective expertise of our onsite special events staff, ensures that millions of viewers around the world experience the excitement of the World Cup,” said Joseph R Wright, PanAmSat president and CEO.
According to Catherine A Palaia, PanAmSat vice-president of special events and occasional use broadcast services, the company is serving more than 24 countries during the world’s most-watched sporting event including: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Korea, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom. PanAmSat, acting as a third-party provider for rights holders at the International Broadcast Center (IBC), is offering comprehensive services such as compression, transmission hardware and an encryption system, providing conditional access to the World Cup. In addition, PanAmSat is working closely with local Korean and Japanese satellite carriers and broadcasters to provide services such as Onse Telecom, DaCom, Japan Telecom and KDDI.
PanAmSat’s special events team has been on site since April to ensure seamless service for its customers. The company is employing over 60 satellite paths and 30 transponders across 11 spacecrafts to transmit the games. PanAmSat, a Type One (T-1) carrier since November 1995, was the first US company awarded this license by the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. The license enables PanAmSat, one of the only non-government entities in Japan to hold a T-1 classification, to offer international satellite-based services directly to customers in Japan. Under the umbrella of PanAmSat’s license, customers will be able to obtain a temporary operating license in Japan so as to receive and then broadcast the games on their own network.
Official rights holders have the option of uplinking to the PanAmSat spacecraft directly from the IBC in Seoul, Korea. PanAmSat has coordinated with local production and transmission facilities so that non-rights holders and occasional-use customers can also uplink to a satellite in PanAmSat’s fleet of 21 spacecraft for distribution.
In addition, PanAmSat Napa, Fillmore, Ellenwood and Homestead teleport facilities will serve as critical retransmission points for the onward delivery of live coverage from Korea and Japan to sites throughout the Americas and around the world.
In addition to this year’s World Cup, PanAmSat Broadcast Services Department has teamed with dozens of leading broadcasters and programmers to deliver hundreds of thousands of hours of live coverage of the worlds premier sporting and special events, as well as breaking news to audiences around the world. Past events include the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia; the 1998 World Cup tournament in Paris, France; the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada; and the 2000 Millennium celebrations.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
