News Broadcasting
Satellite heads converge at CASBAA forum
The second CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum got underway today at Singapore, with an audience of 200 senior industry professionals from across the world in attendance.
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) claims that the issues debated during the CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum are the agenda setters for an Asian market covering three billion people under a footprint running from Japan to the Middle East, from China to Australasia. Issues like new satellite services and new satellite technologies and the financing required, which are to be discussed at the forum, underpin the launch of a dozen satellites into geostationary orbit over Asia over the next five years, each satellite being worth up to US$ 250 million.
CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies says he estimates the speakers, sponsors and delegates collectively represent 85 per cent of the global satellite communications industry, including names like Boeing, AsiaSat, Intelsat and Arianespace.
Keynote speakers at the CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum include chairman of SES Global Romain Bausch, operators of the Astra fleet in Europe and carriers of the BSkyB DTH package, JSAT CEO Takuya Yoshida, New Skies Satellites CEO Dan Goldberg, Boeing Satellite Systems president Randy Brinkley and Arianespace chairman and CEO Jean-Marie Luton.
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia is the region’s leading non-profit trade organisation for the promotion of multi-channel television and data transmission via cable and satellite networks and represents over 110 Asia-based corporations.
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.
