Cable TV
Bihar cable ops threaten statewide blackout over abduct
MUMBAI: Cable operators in Patna displayed unity among their fraternity by threatening the police to find Mahavir Prasad (71), a retired engineer and father of a local cable operator who was, was kidnapped from Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg area under the Srikrishnapuri police station in Patna last week. The operators have sent out an ultimatum for the recovery of Prasad, failing which they will stop beaming TV channels in the state.
Although a special team has been constituted to recover Prasad, the police have so far failed to make any breakthrough in this case say media reports.
An emergency meeting hosted by the Patna Cable TV operators association on Tuesday passed a resolution to this effect. TV channels beams were stopped for 24 hours in Patna for the same demand on Saturday. The meeting was also attended by operators from other parts of the state.
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.
