Lifting off from Baikonur at 01:05 am Moscow Time on Thursday, March 19, the Proton-M integrated launch vehicle (ILV) successfully orbited the Airbus DS–built Express AM-7 telecommunications satellite for Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), under the Russian Federal Program, “Development of TV and Radio Broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009–2015.”

This second launch of 2015 is the 403rd in Proton’s history.

Telstra has agreed to acquire Globecast Australia. In an announcement issued by Telstra today, Telstra Group Managing Director Global Sales, Martijn Blanken, said the acquisition would deliver on its Global Enterprise and Services business'  (GES) strategy of developing deeper capabilities in media services for our customers in the broadcasting industry. “Our broadcasting customers increasingly require live distribution of content from a diverse range of global content providers.

The World Teleport Association today announced the winners of the 20th annual Teleport Awards for Excellence during an exclusive luncheon at Satellite 2015. The awards are presented each year to organizations and individuals in the teleport industry whose achievements have been deemed exceptional by the international trade association and its awards committees, made up of industry members from across the globe.

The 2015 recipients are:

SpeedCast International Limited today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Hermes Datacommunications International Ltd, a provider of managed network services for the upstream oil and gas industry.  

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) today reported its operating results for the three and six months ended January 31, 2015. Net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2015 were US$ 81.8 million compared to US$ 85.5 million for the three months ended January 31, 2014. The period-over-period decrease reflects lower net sales in all three of the company's operating segments.

GAAP net income was US$ 7.6 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, for the three months ended January 31, 2015 or  per diluted share, for the three months ended January 31, 2014.

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has taken an equity stake in SoftBank Satellite Planning Corp., which will develop concepts for a satellite-based disaster response communications system for Japan. The group will evaluate the concepts and propose them to Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

 The 21^st edition of CABSAT, the leading professional content management event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) kicks off on Tuesday, March 10.  The event will roll-out an expanded schedule of sector-specific conferences, training schemes and seminars as part of its mandate to empower regional companies with the acumen to drive product innovation and capitalise on game-changing monetization avenues.

CASBAA, the Association for digital multichannel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery throughout the Asia-Pacific, recently concluded its OTT Summit 2015 on Tuesday, March 3 at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

This year, GVF at CABSAT 2015 has a dedicated satellite hub summit as a part of the CABSAT conference content, bringing an event with a brand new format, new and innovative content, and a new location, as the GVF Satellite Hub Summit @ CABSAT 2015. The event, presented over two days, 11^th & 12^th March, will take place physically within the satellite area of the CABSAT exhibition, using a dedicated, purpose built, centrally located and high-profile meetings facility in exhibition Hall 8.

NAB Show, the world’s largest annual conference and expo for professionals who create, manage, and distribute entertainment across all platforms, will feature sessions, workshops, and panels discussing today’s content landscape and the prominent role that over-the-top (OTT) video delivery is playing within it. The convention takes place April 11 – 16 in Las Vegas.