Cable TV
Final FTA price may take time
NEW DELHI: So near, yet so far.
When the task force on the conditional access system (CAS) recently wrapped up most of its proceedings by recommending Rs 71.33 as the basic tier of service price, the industry thought the official notification was round the corner. Yesterday, the capital was abuzz with rumours that the notification was on its way.
But that did not happen.”An announcement on the final notification of the price of the free to air channels may come by month-end,” a government official said, indicating that the price may not be announced in a hurry as the minister is understood to be studying the file.
What had fuelled optimism on the announcement of the price of the basic tier was the fact that the chairman of the government-piloted task force, Rakesh Mohan, a joint secretary in the I&B minister, was to proceed on a study leave for over a month.
“We were expecting that before Mr. Mohan proceeds on leave, the price would be announced so that the industry can go ahead and look into other aspects of CAS,” a representative of a multi-system operator (MSO) said.
According to the ministry sources, Mohan is already on leave from yesterday and till he returns, additional secretary (broadcasting) in the ministry Vijay Singh would be dealing with such matters.
The government sources also indicated that there is only a slim chance of any change being brought about in the price of Rs 71.33 recommended by the task force.
Meanwhile, allegations and counter elucidation on CAS continue.
The cable fraternity continues to allege that the broadcasters have managed to keep the price of the basic tier low so as to keep the pay channels within the average monthly outgo of a cable subscriber. To such allegations, the broadcasting fraternity have maintained that it was the task force that has decided on the price and the panel had adequate representation from the cable industry too.
Still, according to reports doing the rounds of the capital, some broadcasters have sought an appointment with the chairman of the Standing (parliamentary) Committee on IT and telecom Somnath Chatterjee on 23 April.
It is also learnt that some top executives of a few broadcasting companies operating in India met in Delhi to finalise the agenda for the meeting with Chatterjee. What transpired in the meeting is not clear.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Chatterjee is an influential politician and his party had opposed in Rajya Sabha (Upper House) the passage of amendments on CAS in the related act without a proper discussion.
It is also being said that in a recent meeting the Standing Committee had questioned the government’s move on implementation of CAS without ensuring adequate number of set top boxes in the metros or their easy accessibility to the consumers.
What is beyond comprehension is the fact that though the Standing Committee is a parliamentary body and cannot act on its own on any issue unless the parliament refers an issue to it. If the broadcasters are hoping that the CAS issue would, and should, get referred to the Chatterjee panel, then it can only be done if the Indian parliament decides so. For that to happen, the matter has to be brought up in parliament, which itself is a time-consuming affair.
So, the CAS merry-go round continues.
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.
