Category: Broadcast

U.S. federal budget cuts have started to have some early impact on space startups after funding for such companies dropped 12.5% in the first quarter, according to investment firm Seraphim Space.

Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and the Trump administration have been delaying or cancelling contracts across its agencies to curb federal spending.

“Within certain government departments, uncertainty is causing delays as they assess which contracts to move forward with,” Seraphim Space investment analyst Lucas Bishop said.

Space startups — which garnered $2.1 billion in investments in the first quarter — have largely relied on government contracts over the past few years as rising geopolitical tensions led to a surge in demand for imaging and analytics.

Following strong stock performance of space companies such as Rocket Lab and Redwire late last year, Voyager Space filed to go public in January, while Karman Holdings listed in February.

But the early momentum is fading with uncertainty sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and ensuing market volatility, Seraphim Space said.
Investments in the January-March period were concentrated in companies that make and operate space hardware such as rockets and satellites. The first quarter saw the two largest fundraising rounds from Stoke Space and Loft Orbital, together bringing in $430 million.

“More protectionist trade policies could slow development in the short term, as many advanced space technologies — from propulsion systems to high-performance materials — depend on global supply chains,” said former NASA division chief Robert Ambrose.

However, in times of economic uncertainty, commercial spaceflight and space technology companies have become more critical partners, enabling cost-effective missions, said Ambrose, who is also chairman at Alliant robotics.

Investments in space startups rose 12% to $8.1 billion in the 12 months to March, with the number of deals in Europe rising nearly 50% in the first quarter on bigger European Union budgets and a renewed focus on self-reliance. Reuters

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued Amendment No. 1 to the Auction Rules (dated November 27, 2024) for Private FM Radio Batch III channels e-auction under Phase III.

As per the new amendment, issued on April 9, the Ministry has extended the duration of each round in the Rank-wise Multiple Rounds allocation stage from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. This change aims to provide bidders with more time per round during the allocation stage, potentially facilitating a more considered bidding process.

This amendment specifically revises Clause 1.6.1 (c) of the original Auction Rules.​

“This way, there will be Rank wise Multiple Rounds in the frequency allocation stage. The duration of each round would be 60 minutes and there will not be any time extension available to the bidder in this process,” the Ministry said in a circular signed by Rajan Kumar Chanana, Under Secretary to the GOI.

​The Ministry initiated the third batch of e-auctions under Phase III of the Private FM Radio policy, aiming to expand FM radio services to 234 previously uncovered cities by offering 730 new channels. The FM Phase III policy, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2011, seeks to enhance the reach of private FM radio across India. The first two batches of auctions, conducted in 2015 and 2016, resulted in the allocation of 163 channels across 104 cities. The current third batch focuses on cities that have not yet received private FM services, aiming to promote local content, generate employment, and provide diverse entertainment options. ​

The amendment has been communicated to all applicants participating in the FM Radio Batch III e-auctions. For further details or clarifications, stakeholders are advised to refer to the official notification or contact the Ministry directly.

Storyboard18 earlier reported that the third batch of phase-III FM e-auctions hasn’t found many enthusiastic participants because of high reserve prices and the 9-year long hiatus. Many radio players will likely limit spending to 10% of previous levels.

With major players choosing to stay away from participating in the third batch, including the likes of Radio Mirchi and City, insiders had shared that “with so few participants, the auction is more about survival than growth for the industry.”

The absence of major players also comes after radio channels reportedly requested a nearly 70% reduction in the reserve price in the auction – mainly because the third batch is set for the cities with less business opportunity and a high cost of operations.

“Batch one witnessed the most lucrative bids. The government should have opened the new batch around 2016 only because players were still bullish at that time – ‘reach’ used to be a big word for radio players but today station owners would not take these 734 cities very seriously – it’s not something that’s going to change the fortunes of anyone,” shared founder and former MD 94.3 Radio One, Vineet Singh Hukmani. StoryBoard18

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released an updated panel of auditors authorised to conduct audits of Digital Addressable Systems (DAS). The move is likely to strengthen compliance and transparency across the broadcasting and cable services sector.

The new list, issued on April 9, 2025, includes multiple audit firms and professionals who are permitted to carry out audits across India through August 2025- April 2027. The panel will serve a crucial function in ensuring that DAS service providers comply with TRAI’s quality and technical standards, particularly in areas such as signal transmission, subscriber data accuracy, and proper implementation of set-top box protocols.

Among those listed are firms like Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, Bansal Rathi & Mazumdar, and J.K. Sarawgi & Associates, with nationwide jurisdiction. For many auditors the empanelment is up to April, 2027.

It is to be noted that DAS audits have become increasingly vital as the broadcasting ecosystem grows more complex and content delivery becomes more digitised. The panel’s authorisation comes at a time when regulatory scrutiny is tightening, and TRAI is intensifying its oversight on service quality and transparency within the industry.

TRAI conducts DAS audits to verify that Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) are adhering to the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017. One of TRAI’s primary objectives is to create a fair and equitable environment for all stakeholders in the telecom sector, and audits help ensure that all players are operating under the same rules and regulations. Independent audits are a core principle of interconnection regulations, and TRAI uses third-party auditors to balance the interests of various service providers, including broadcasters and distributors, while keeping the consumers at the forefront. Storyboard18

Broadcast and video streaming platforms are bracing for the customary drop in viewership during the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. These services, primarily focused on entertainment programming, anticipate a 20% decline in viewership and engagement for non-sports genres and in most cases, find it wise to defer new big-ticket releases until the end of the cricket tournament.

Some OTT platforms will adopt marketing strategies to maintain user engagement and attract new viewers during the IPL season, which is on from 22 March to 25 May this year. They will continue with niche programming targeted at varied segments in order to lure viewers not interested in cricket or sports as a whole.

“The IPL draws a massive audience, particularly among male viewers, leading to a shift in engagement,” said Nitin Gupta, chief content officer at Chaupal, a platform specialising in Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri content. “This could result in a temporary dip in daily viewership and may deter major releases during the season.”

Platforms that target male consumers could face a challenge with ad revenue at this point and those with smaller marketing budgets or limited resources may struggle to secure ad slots during the season, Gupta added. However, platforms with premium content can still benefit by targeting audiences who are less interested in cricket, such as female viewers or those looking for different entertainment options.

Ad revenue
Advertising money on IPL will always flow and during this time, there is definitely a 25-30% impact on every aspect of the business across linear TV and OTT, according to Navin Kathuria, executive vice-president at media agency Mudramax.

“OTT is a very different beast given that it is not appointment viewing and if there is content that is gripping enough, then people binge watch – whether it is during the evenings, through the night or through the weekend. However, matches begin and end at a particular time and that is the only time you can view it live, so while it is the largest impact property, consumption will be skewed towards IPL,” Kathuria said.

Sujata Dwibedy, CEO of dentsu X India, emphasised that IPL has been running on OTT for a while now and the trend mirrors what happens on television.

“Every year during IPL, the platform which airs the tournament sees a huge surge in viewership and then it tapers down. But mobile viewers are individual viewers, so each one can choose to run their own preference on their screens. The dip comes from single CTV (connected TV) households, where co-viewing increases on sports, hence the entertainment genre suffers,” Dwibedy pointed out.

Experts agreed that the IPL consistently dominates prime time attention and reshapes media consumption patterns during its run. Munish Raizada, vice-president of Primus Partners, a management consultancy firm, said this kind of viewership diverts attention away from competing OTT platforms and also leads to delays in high-profile content releases.

“Though IPL is viewed as a live event, which runs for a limited duration, the average viewing time of OTTs in India is approximately 70 minutes a day. Viewers prefer to watch IPL when the season is on and do not intend to watch content on other OTT platforms during this time,” Raizada said.

Strategy, profile
He added that the extent of the impact also depends on a platform’s content strategy and audience profile. Generally, platforms schedule major releases before or after the IPL season. This way, they are able to mitigate the risk of low traction. Also, catering to non-cricket-watching segments can help maintain daily active users, to an extent.

Platforms that focus on regional and niche content cater to a highly engaged and loyal audience that seeks out hyper-local, culturally rich storytelling beyond mainstream cricket entertainment, said Kaushik Das, founder and CEO of AAONXT, a platform specialising in Odia content. Regional players continue to thrive by offering content that IPL does not compete with—original narratives rooted in local storytelling.

“OTT platforms focusing on niche content such as original web series or regional language content might not be significantly impacted. Some services will also adopt targeted marketing strategies to maintain user engagement and attract new viewers during this IPL season,” said Rajat Agrawal, chief operating officer of Ultra Media & Entertainment Group. LiveMint

According to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, the total number of active LEO (including VLEO) satellites in operational orbit will increase from 7,473 in 2023 to approximately 42,600 by 2032. As China and Europe intensify their efforts and make significant investments in the LEO satellite market, there is a growing emphasis on space technologies for both national and commercial strategies. With more companies entering this sector, there are vast opportunities to expand across various industry verticals to capture the potential the space domain offers.

“As we observe more competitors innovating their technologies and upgrading their satellite constellations to stay ahead in the space race, we anticipate a surge in commercial investment in satellite services and applications, including the Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensing, and global satellite communications. Additionally, advancements in real-time data processing and analysis, coupled with growing competition in value-added services such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and edge processing, will spur increased applications in the Earth observation industry. These factors are expected to drive significant growth in the LEO satellite market in the coming decade,” explains Rachel Kong, Research Analyst at ABI Research.

Many satellite network operators are seizing this opportunity to invest in their networks or collaborate with technology companies. In the AI and edge processing space, companies like AWS, Spire Global, Telesat Lightspeed, D-Orbit, Anduril, and Ubotica are exploring new opportunities to deliver advanced systems that integrate these technologies into satellite networks.

Chinese operators such as Spacesail, China Satellite Network Group, and Shanghai Landspace Technology are also accelerating the development of their satellite constellations to strengthen national defense and security systems. This includes their ambition to become global leaders in communications and other key space capabilities.

“To capitalize on the growing opportunity in the satellite market, it is essential for ecosystem players to recognize the potential in emerging markets such as Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Africa,” adds Kong. “These regions offer vast untapped opportunities, though a lack of investment and regulatory barriers currently limits them. Moving forward, it will be crucial to collaborate with local governments and ecosystem players to align regulatory policies, expand broadband access, and strengthen digital infrastructure.” ABI Research

Universal Studios will open its first mega UK theme park in 2031 – after ministers gave the multi million pound project the green light.

The announced they have secured the site to build their first Universal themed park in Europe after the UK government said yes to plans.

The resort will be built in Bedfordshire and will take six years to build and finish. The agreement between Universal, the Government and the local council was finalised yesterday (Tuesday) and is expected to rake in £50 billion for the UK economy.

As well as the new theme park, the 476 acre site will boast a retail and entertainment complex as well as a new hotel and expects to attract 8.5 million visitors within the first year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the plans, saying the attraction will create around 28,000 jobs – 20,000 in the construction period and 8,000 working on the site when it opens to visitors in 2031.

He said: “It is not just about numbers; it’s about securing real opportunities for people in our country.

“Together, we are building a brighter future for the UK, getting people into work and ensuring our economy remains strong and competitive.”

New railway and transport links are to be built around the new park after UK ministers made promises to make sure the investment will be easily accessible for visitors.

The project ties in with other work around the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, including support for the expansion of Luton Airport with Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investment is “a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to do business”.

Mike Cavanagh, the president of Universal’s parent company Comcast Corporation said: “We could not be more excited to take this very important step in our plan to create and deliver an incredible Universal theme park and resort in the heart of the United Kingdom.

“[This] complements our growing US-based parks business by expanding our global footprint to Europe.”

Universal has five entertainment and resort complexes around the world – Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood in the USA, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Universal Beijing Resort in China and Universal Studios Singapore.

Mark Woodbury, chairman and chief executive of Universal Destinations & Experiences, said: “Bringing a world-class theme park and resort to the United Kingdom is a tremendous opportunity and is part of our strategy to introduce the Universal brand and experiences to new audiences around the globe.”

Nearly 20,000 jobs will be created during the six-year construction period, with a further 8,000 new jobs across the hospitality and creative industries when it opens in 2031.

Starmer added: “Today we closed the deal on a multi-billion-pound investment that will see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage.

“This is our Plan for Change in action, combining local and national growth with creating around 28,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, AI, and tourism.

An artist’s rendering of what the park could look like, published today for the first time, includes a huge lake at the centre, with several ‘lands’ around the outside.

Although details of attractions have yet to be confirmed, the rendering shows three large outdoor rollercoasters, as well as showbuildings to house dark rides, children’s rides and two outdoor theatres. MSN

Fremantle has launched Imaginae Studios, a standalone label that will harness the power of artificial intelligence to “push production boundaries and drive innovation in storytelling,” according to the production and distribution giant.

Fremantle is known for hit unscripted shows like “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent,” drama series like “Normal People,” and films such as Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.”

Imaginae will “leverage all AI solutions, technologies and tools for the creative community, embracing experimentation, innovation and vision,” the company added. The label will offer “opportunities for the next generation of creative talent, with the hire of a dedicated team of creatives with a passion for innovation in storytelling.”

Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle’s group chief operating officer and CEO Europe, is spearheading the launch of the independent label, whose creative team will work exclusively within the new business.

Scrosati said: “Our mission is, and will always be, to give creatives the best tools and the best support to deliver incredible content for audiences globally. AI offers incredible new opportunities to transform ideas into images, video, sound and art.

“The mission of Imaginae Studios will be exactly that – to serve as a bridge between extraordinary human creativity and cutting-edge technology, fostering a creative sanctuary where innovation meets experimentation. We believe that behind every powerful AI tool, there must be a brilliant creative mind guiding its potential.”

Fremantle said Imaginae “reinforces its commitment and investment in creative talents, ideas and innovation with the goal of delivering cutting-edge, high-quality entertainment to audiences worldwide.”

The company would adhere “to the strictest intellectual property and compliance standards,” it added. Variety

Amazon on Wednesday had its launch of the first 27 initial Kuiper internet satellites postponed over bad weather, the launch provider United Launch Alliance said. Reuters

The closing deadline for Paramount Global and Skydance Media’s pending $8 billion merger has been automatically extended to July 6 as the Federal Communications Commission’s regulatory review of a required transfer of broadcast licenses remains ongoing.

Under the terms of the agreement outlined in an S4 prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the deal was initially expected to close by Monday. However, it is subject to two automatic 90-day extensions, which are triggered when “all of the conditions of the closing, except those relating to regulatory approvals, have been satisfied or waived.”

If the deal is not closed by July 6, the deadline will be automatically pushed another 90 days to Oct. 4. After that, if the deal is still not closed, or if a regulator blocks the merger or one of the parties involved breaches the terms of the agreement, then Skydance and Paramount will have the option of terminating the deal. Exercising that option would leave Paramount on the hook to pay Skydance a $400 million breakup fee.

The deal has already received approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the European Commission. The FCC typically aims to review license transfer applications within 180 days, though the timeline is informal and can be paused if necessary. The deal is currently on day 143, per the FCC’s tracker on its website.

The transaction’s delayed closing comes as several parties have challenged the deal in petitions filed with the FCC.

FCC chairman Brendan Carr has previously said a “news distortion” complaint from The Center for American Rights against CBS’ “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris would “likely arise” in his review of the Skydance transaction.

The agency has since held meetings with the conservative-leaning “public interest” law firm, as well as Hollywood’s Teamsters union and Project Rise Partners, which has made an alternative $13.5 billion offer for Paramount, to discuss their concerns with the Skydance deal.

Separately, the FCC has launched its own investigation into the interview, which has become the subject of a $20 billion lawsuit from President Donald Trump. Paramount and CBS have since moved to dismiss the suit, calling it “an affront to the First Amendment.”

The company is also in talks with Trump about a potential settlement, with the two parties reportedly agreeing to a mediator. Any mediation in the litigation must be completed by Dec. 20, per the Texas federal court hearing the case.

Carr also threatened to block mergers and acquisitions by any company who embraces diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which Paramount has since rolled back in order to comply with an executive order from the Trump administration.

Additionally, Paramount shareholders including Mario Gabelli and the Employees Retirement System of Rhode Island have gone to the Delaware Court of Chancery to request documents related to the deal as they investigate whether it prioritizes Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone at the expense of the media giant’s other investors.

Some class B shareholders have also sent demand letters related to alleged omissions in New Paramount’s registration statement.

The deal also faces one class-action lawsuit from a group of New York City pension funds, who allege the Paramount board breached its fiduciary duty by not considering Project Rise Partners’ bid, and a proposed class-action lawsuit from Paramount shareholder Scott Baker, who argues the Skydance deal could cost shareholders $1.65 billion in damages.

The post Paramount-Skydance Merger Deadline Extended 90 Days as FCC Approval Remains in Limbo appeared first on TheWrap. The Wrap

Luxembourg-based SES, a global satellite-based content and connectivity solutions provider, has made its foray into India with a centre in Chennai.

Located at DLF IT Park in Chennai, the centre has a capacity of around 300 people, and has been operational for a few months now with a team of 200. SES is in the process of acquiring Intelsat and the latter’s team of 150 people will also join the SES fold. It will serve both as a general engineering office and will also build certain specialised areas for the group globally.

The centre was inaugurated on Tuesday in the presence of Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan, Minister of IT & Digital Services, Government of Tamil Nadu, Peggy Franzton, Ambassador of Luxembourg in India, Adel Al-Saleh, CEO, SES, and other officials.

“India was a natural choice for us, and when we were assessing various locations, Chennai came up as an an important choice, because of its talent, infrastructure, universities ecosystem and government/regulatory environment,” Al-Saleh said at the event. The team here is a global one with all leaders being global leaders of their functions, he added.

Speaking at the event, IT minister Thiagarajan said Tamil Nadu occupies a unique place in the future of India’s human capital: “Not all large States are able to produce the quantity and quality of talent as Tamil Nadu does.” Companies like SES are a chance for the state to create quality jobs, he added.

SES owns and operates a geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) fleet and medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation of satellites, and serves a diverse range of customers across the media, aviation, cruise, enterprise, and telecommunications sectors. Through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other local partners, SES has already been delivering satellite TV and data connectivity services including e-banking, telemedicine, e-governance across the country.

Quality talent
Al-Saleh told businessline that with the satellite communications industry going mainstream, SES felt a need to gain access to quality talent at scale. “In a few months now, we are 200 people, and if we want to scale to 1,000 also, this is the place to do it. With this, India becomes one of our big global hubs,” he said.

“Competition is intense. You have got the billionaires throwing a lot of money into it, and a lot of innovative start-ups disrupting the industry. To survive, you have to invest and innovate,” he added.

SES partnered with Reliance Jio in 2022 to form a joint venture, Jio Space Technology, to deliver broadband services in India leveraging satellite technology. Al-Saleh said that while they have supported the partnership from offshore, they expect to do a lot more work on it locally with a new India centre.

On Jio also announcing a new partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink, Al-Saleh noted that the Jio-SES partnership has been “dramatically earlier” than Starlink’s decision to enter India. “The industry in India also understands that there is no one particular company that does everything; they want to have more distribution of responsibilities and choices,” he said. The Hindu BusinessLine