Cable TV
Maharishi first in India to jump onto Ku bandwagon
Maharishi Channel Cable Network (MCCN) has notched up a first by becoming the only channel to adopt the Ku-band platform in India.
The channel has reportedly moved over to Ku-band digital transmission effective 15 December. The channel has shifted to the new platform on EuropeStar satellite. It will continue to be available as a free to air channel and will remain on PanAmSat until the end of February 2002 to enable cable operators to shift to the new mode.
Reports indicate that MCCN will offer the entire equipment package for Ku-band transmission to broadcasters at a special price reduction of 25 per cent. With the change over to the more sophisticated Ku band, MCCN is likely to offer additional channels. Maharishi Satellite Network, which owns MCCN, will probably offer a bouquet of channels instead of the solitary Maharishi Channel being beamed currently. The Network airs vedic wisdom in 19 languages in over 200 countries.
Maharishi Channel also broadcasts four hours a day to the entire world via a global network of eight satellites. These broadcasts via the Maharishi Open University satellite system are in addition to the 24 hours broadcast in India and South Asia. Most of the Maharishi Channel programmes are in Hindi, and are specially designed to reach the 30 million NRIs living all around the world. So far, the channel was being beamed off PanAmSat4 in India, China, South Asia and South East Asia, off Palapa C2 in East Asia, off Thaicom3 and OptusB3 in Africa, Central Asia, Australia and New Zealand, off HotBird3 in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and off Telstar, SatMex5 and Echostar3 in The Americas, including the Caribbean.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
