News Analysis

HTS-Powered Consumer Broadband Services: Are They Late to the Party?

by Rajiv Hazaray

Bordertown, NJ, May 2, 2012--During Satellite 2012, the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) bestowed the Industry Innovators Awards on Eutelsat Communications and ViaSat Inc in recognition of the development and launch of their High Throughput Satellites (HTS), KA-SAT and ViaSat-1, respectively. High frequency reuse and multiple spot beam architecture have packed 10 times capacity on these Ka-Band satellites without any deployment cost penalties.

What Media Distributors Think About

by Robert Bell

Las Vegas, Nevada, May 1, 2012--Bright lights.  Big crowds.  Penn & Teller, Circe de Soleil and showgirls wearing costumes that would make their grandfathers blanch.  If it’s April, it must be NAB in Las Vegas. This year’s NAB was interesting to me as much for what it was notabout as for what it covered.  In past shows, there has usually been a Big Idea that you could escape only by keeping both eyes closed.  The last couple of years, it was 3D.  Before that, it was HD.  But this year, it was…all of the above.  Over-the-top, mobile TV, 3D, HD, what have you.  The strong impression I developed was that nobody knows what the heck is going to happen next, which I think is a true reflection of what is going on in the media business. 

Telesat Revenues Decrease Slightly 1st Quarter 2012

Ottawa, Canada, April 27, 2012 - Telesat Holdings Inc.  today announced its financial results for the three month period ended March 31, 2012. For the quarter ended March 31, 2012, consolidated revenue was CDN $196 million, a decrease of approximately 3% (CDN $7 million) compared to the same period in 2011. The decrease in revenue was principally the result of a previously disclosed contractual rate reduction on one of Telesat’s Direct-to-Home satellites, partially offset by growth from Telesat’s international satellite fleet and the additional revenue received from the Canadian payload on ViaSat-1.

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International Datacasting Revenue, EBITDA Fall Fiscal Year 2012

Ottawa, Canada, April 25, 2012--International Datacasting Corporation (TSX:IDC), aannounced results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year-end periods ended January 31, 2012. Revenue decreased 44% in the fourth quarter versus the same quarter in 2011, to $6.4 million, and EBITDAdecreased to a loss of $1.5 million. Excluding the impact of changes in foreign exchange from the strengthening of the Canadian dollar, IDC's revenues decreased by 45% in fourth quarter fiscal 2012 versus the same fiscal quarter in 2011.

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Hispasat Reached Record Revenues of 187.5 million Euros in 2011

Madrid, Spain, April 24, 2012--Spanish satellite opeator Hispasat achieved record revenues of 187.5 million euros in 2011--a new high for the company.  Consolidated EBITDA was at 154.7 million euros, 7 per cent more than 2010. EBITDA margin increased 2.8 percentage points to 82.5 per cent, which shows  HISPASAT´s efficient management in 2011, a year in which the company reduced operating costs 120.9 per cent from 2010.

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US Satellite Imaging Services Market to Reach US$ 735.5 million by Year-end 2012

Santa Monica, Calif., April 24, 2012--IBISWorld expects industry revenue to reach US$ 735.5 million in 2012, representing 15.2% annualized growth since 2007. “Thanks to restructured contracts and increasing demand for industry products, revenue from commercial clients and other government agencies is rising,” says IBISWorld industry analyst Agata Kaczanowska.

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Orbital Reports Steady Growth in Revenues, Operating Income and Earnings Per Share

Dulles, Va., April 20, 2012-Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) today reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2012. First quarter 2012 revenues were $338.0 million, up 6% compared to $317.7 million in the first quarter of 2011. First quarter 2012 operating income was $23.8 million, an increase of 136% compared to $10.1 million in the first quarter of 2011.

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Navigating the ‘Great Content Shift’

by Elisabeth Tweedie, Associate Editor

Los Angeles, Calif., April 6, 2012-The theme of this year’s NAB to be held this month in Las Vegas is “the great content shift.”   If you haven’t attended the NAB in the last five years, you’ll hardly recognize it now.   The focus is still on traditional broadcasting, but it has since incorporated the many changes in how content is  created, managed and distributed in the new multiplatform environment. The NAB now covers Over-the-Top (OTT), IPTV and other new and emerging technologies.  

Satellite TV Industry Revolutionizing the Way We Watch TV

Los Angeles, Calif. , April 5, 2012- The Satellite TV  industry is in the midst of a revolution according to a report by IBISWorld. Satellite TV providers  supply popular family shows, news, movies, sports, documentaries and other products to a growing swarm of eager subscribers willing to pay for in-home entertainment. For example, the introduction of high-definition (HD) TV vastly improved the quality of shows and attracted subscribers even as disposable income dropped during the Great Recession.

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Global Space Industry Grew 12.2% in 2011

Washington, D.C., April 5, 2012-- The global space economy grew to US$ 289.77 billion in 2011, reflecting a surprisingly robust single-year expansion of 12.2 percent and five-year growth of 41 percent in a global economy that has been suppressed in many other sectors, according to the Space Report 2012 published by the Space Foundation.

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