Cable TV
MIPTV day two to have keynotes by Burnett, Miller
MUMBAI: One of the driving forces behind reality television and a visionary TV producer Mark Burnett and AOL chief Jonathan Miller headline the conference activities on the second day of MIPTV, alongside panels on on-demand viewing and Asian television trends.
AOL chairman and CEO Miller will speak at 5 15 pm on 4 April. His keynote, The Internet and the Future of Television, will look at what effects new media will have on traditional viewing, and what AOL’s place is in this evolving landscape, using as a case study the Internet company’s coverage of Live 8.
Immediately following Miller’s speech, at 5 50 pm Burnett will deliver The New Reality: Entertainment Everywhere, looking at what it takes to create multiplatform content.
Following, at 615 pm, KenRadio Broadcasting in the U.S’ Ken Rutkowski will host a Q&A session with both Miller and Burnett.
Earlier at 10 am on 4 April, Rutkowski also moderates the On-Demand TV SuperPanel: Evolution of Media Business Models, Threats and Opportunities. Exploring alternative revenue streams for broadcasters, content providers and advertisers, the panel will include Nielsen Analytics SVP and GM Larry Gerbrandt; Sparrowhawk Media/Hallmark Channel CEO David Hulbert; Brightcover chairman and CEO Jeremy Allaire; BBH U.S’ former chairman Cindy Gallop; CEO and co-founder of Sling Media Blake Krikorian and the CEO and chairman of Video Networks Roger Lynch.
Three sessions take place at 11 45 am. Mobile Video On-Demand: Turning Grey Time to Prime Time, organized with Digital Rum, will include, among others, the head of mobile data products at O2 Hugh Griffiths; the head of interactive at MTV Networks for the U.K. and Ireland Matt Kershaw; the director of strategy and business development at Nokia Juha Lipiainen and the director of Sky Interactive at BSkyB Ian Valentine.
In the Asian Television Market Update, ImaginAsian TV’s VP of programming and acquisition, David Chu, will moderate a session with the chairman of The Interactive Channel Robert Chua; the head of the global strategy team at KBS Mun-Ki Eun; the president of China’s Pegasus & Taihe Entertainment International Jianjun Sun; Animax Japan Maseo Takiyama; and the CEO of MediaCorp TV12 Singapore Alice Tan.
Meanwhile, In Fresh Around the World, WIT’s Virginia Mouseler will look at some of the trends in television around the world.
The afternoon sessions include Internet TV Comes of Age and Docu Drama: What Is It Really? at 3 pm. The latter will be moderated by TF1 reporter Loïck Berrou and will include the documentary acquisitions manager at RTI/Mediatrade Daniela Bagliani; editor in chief at CCTV Jason Chen; producer at France’s Boréales-Winds Frédéric Fougea; Granada International’s Noel Hedges and the VP of historical programming at The History Channel Carl Lindahl.
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
