News Broadcasting
In 2001, Eutelsat broke the 1,000 television channel barrier
Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading satellite operators claims to have finished 2001 by clocking up over 1,000 television channels on its satellites.
In 1983 channels like Sky Channel were the first clients to sign up for its capacity. Today Eutelsat is used by broadcasters such as BBC, Canal +, TPS, RAI, Eurosport, Bloomberg and CNN.
Eutelsat’s recent penetration survey revealed that of the 122 million TV homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East equipped for cable and satellite reception, 98 million are watching programmes delivered by its Hot Bird and EuroBird satellites.
Out of over 1,000 TV channels delivered through Eutelsat’s capacity on 21 satellites, over 970 are digital. Atlantic Bird 2 a new satellite was launched in October. So Eutelsat is delivering specially pre-packaged broadcast digital television programming for cable networks.
Next year the company will launch new broadcasting satellites Hot Bird 6 and 7. This will improve the in-orbit sparing capability at 13 degrees East and expand the capacity dedicated to coverage of Africa and available for the opening of new markets. In addition to its Ku-band missions, Hot Bird 6 will also enable new services through its enhanced Skyplex capability and its Ka-band transponder capacity.
Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta said: “Satellites and digital technology have fundamentally changed the media landscape by opening up possibilities for thematic, regional and interactive programming, thereby dramatically enhancing consumer choice. New levels of compression, combined with our upcoming new television satellites will open a new chapter in broadcasting that will further empower consumers.”
Eutelsat S.A. is one of the world’s leading providers of satellite communications solutions. With a fleet of 18 satellites and additional capacity on three other satellites Eutelsat provides coverage across four continents, encompassing Europe, the Middle East, Africa, south-west Asia and North and South America. Six satellites are under construction with launches planned over the next two years. Eutelsat’s satellite infrastructure gives it the flexibility to combine TV and radio services, rapid Internet access, multimedia entertainment, corporate network solutions and IP and non-IP business applications.
From its strategic Hot Bird orbital position and other orbital positions, Eutelsat transmits 1,019 television and 550 radio stations to 98 million households via cable or direct-to-home with 41 per cent of capacity dedicated to IP and non-IP network applications.
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.
