Cable TV
Casbaa names Singapore as SE Asia HQ
SINGAPORE: Newly registered as Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia Pvt Ltd, Casbaa is all set to step up its activities in Singapore.
The region’s leading non-profit trade organisation for the promotion of multi-channel television and data transmission, via cable and satellite networks, Casbaa founded in 1991, represents over 110 Asia-based corporations, which in turn serve more than three billion people.
As an integral part of an intensive outreach programme in southeast Asia, Casbaa aims at establishing a base for promoting a better understanding of the cable and satellite broadcasting industry and improve technical and operational standards in India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, states an official release.
“The Singapore government has shown a more aggressive commitment to the pay-TV industry than any other Asian market, which suitably positions Singapore as the gateway to Southeast Asia for the cable and satellite broadcasting industry. This is in line with the government’s Media 21 plan for Singapore to become a vibrant, global media city,” Casbaa chief executive officer,Simon Twiston Davies has said. “We intend to bolster our research activities in the region and will be holding a series of seminars and briefings in Singapore in 2003, targeted at the satellite communications and advertising industries, with a special emphasis on pay-TV programming development in Asia,” he adds.
Singapore is currently the Asia-Pacific headquarters to many Casbaa member companies, such as Channel News Asia (CNA), Home Box Office (HBO), Music TV (MTV), ESPN, Discovery Networks, CNBC, Walt Disney, as well as key info-communications and networking companies in the pay-TV industry, such as StarHub, 4MC Asia, Seagate Technologies and New Skies Satellites.
The release further reveals that Casbaa annual convention scheduled to be held in Singapore from 4 to 6 December 2002, will be formally opened by Singapore Broadcasting Authority, chairman , Dr Tan Chin Nam and will feature keynote speakers such as Zee chairman Subhash Chandra, Liu Changle of Phoenix TV in China, Christie Hefner of Playboy Enterprises in the US, Chris Cramer of CNN International and Bill Roedy of MTV Networks International. .
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.
