Cable TV
AIDCF asks b’casters to create level playing field for OTT & cable TV
MUMBAI: The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) is on a roll. The multi system operator (MSO) association, which first submitted its recommendations to the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry and then to the GST Committee, has now written to broadcasters with Over the Top (OTT) platforms.
The Association has written a letter to Star India, Multi Screen Media and IndiaCast Media Distribution. In the letter, AIDCF has stressed on how the broadcaster is giving content free of cost to its OTT platforms, while charging MSOs for the same content.
Giving an example of Star India’s OTT platform hotstar, a source close to the development tells Indiantelevision.com, “Star India, on one hand offers simulcast or immediate transmission of fresh popular content completely free of cost to its OTT subscribers on hotstar and on the flip-side, it charges the MSOs huge sum for the same set of content.”
AIDCF’s letter to broadcasters, a copy of which is with this website, reads:
1) The cable industry is contributing huge subscription revenue to
broadcasters for the same set of content and programme.
2) It contributes to a large viewership for the channels the network has.
3) Also helps the broadcaster in gaining higher TRPs, which in turn leads to a better ad rate for the portfolio of channels thus increasing the advertisement revenue.
The letter points out that this scenario of offering simulcast/immediate transmission of fresh content completely free of cost to OTT subscribers is not favourable for the Cable TV industry and its relationship with broadcasters, considering the growth in the subscriber base for the broadcasters’ OTT application.
According to AIDCF, this is a threat to the pay TV cable business model, which defeats the purpose of paying huge license fees to broadcasters. “Some of our subscribers have started complaining saying, ‘Why should we pay you for the content, which is available free of cost via say hotstar or Sony Liv,’” informs the source.
Giving free of cost content to OTT platforms is affecting the average revenue per user (ARPU) of the cable TV industry, subsequently hampering the growth of business at large.
AIDCF in its letter has asked broadcasters to create a level playing field amongst respective distribution platforms. “We have requested the broadcaster to make content available on their OTT platform a paid service with a subscription fees. Alternatively, the same content should also be made available free of cost to other distribution platform,” the source reaffirms.
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.
