Focus: Telecom

[Satellite News – 5-14-08] DirecTV Holdings LLC and DirecTV Financing Co. Inc. completed $2.5 billion in debt financing, the DirecTV Group announced May 14.     This financing consists of $1.5 billion in 7-5/8 percent senior notes due 2016 and $1.0 billion of incremental floating rate term loans under their existing senior secured credit facility.    ...

[Satellite News – 5-14-08] ViaSat Inc. posted gains in revenue and net income for both the fourth quarter of 2008 and its fiscal year, the company announced May 13.     ViaSat reported revenues of $147.4 million for the quarter, an 12 percent increase over $132 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. The company also...

[Satellite News – 5-14-08] Occasional use provider SpaceConnection will acquire the occasional use satellite space segment services business of 5DTV, SpaceConnection announced May 13.     The acquisition will bring enhanced capacity and customer service for 5DTV’s Canadian customers, the company said.     “Now that the transaction has closed, we want to take this opportunity to...

[Satellite News – 5-14-08] EchoStar Corp. is suspending construction of the CMBStar satellite, the company reported in a filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.     The satellite, which will provide complete coverage of China for China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and TV’s CMMB (China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting) project, was due to be launched...

[Satellite News – 5-14-08] Arianespace rescheduled the launch of the Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A satellites to May 30, the company announced May 14.     The mission, originally scheduled for May 23, was delayed in order to perform complementary checks on the launch vehicle.

[Satellite News – 5-14-08] SES Americom named Jodi Morelli marketing director for its media and enterprise services, the company announced May 14.         Morelli , who has 20 years of experience, will run the marketing efforts of the division, which includes the HD Prime neighborhood and SES Americom’s business network.     Morelli previously served...

[Satellite Today – 5-13-08] Dish Network Corp. reported a 7.5 percent increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2008 and a 65 percent increase in income, the company announced May 13.     Dish posted total revenue of $2.8 billion for the quarter ended March 31, compared with $2.6 billion for the first quarter of...

[Satellite Today – 5-13-08] Sirius Satellite Radio reported a 33 percent jump in revenues in the first quarter of 2008 and cuts its net loss, the company announced May 12.     Sirius posted a loss of $104.1 million in the 2008 first quarter, down from a loss of $144.7 million in the same period a...

[Satellite Today – 5-13-08] MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) posted a 5.2 percent decrease in revenues for the first quarter of 2008 but earnings jumped 23 percent, the company announced May 13.     MDA reported 290.4 million Canadian dollars ($293.4 million) in revenues for the quarter, down from 306.2 million Canadian dollars ($309.4 million)...

[Satellite News – 5-13-08] Comtech Telecommunications Corp. will acquire Radyne Corp. in a deal that will allow Comtech to improve its leadership position in the ground station and amplifier markets, Fred Kornberg, CEO and president of Comtech, said in a teleconference May 12.     “While we face competition in each of our markets, the transaction...