Cable TV
AMBC eyes 5 lakh cable homes by Dec 2014
KOLKATA: West Bengal multisystem operator, Advance Multisystem Broadband Communication (AMBC), which began its journey with a set of LCOs and isolated cable operators from Hooghly District in February 2000, is looking at expanding its footprint from the current around 4 lakh to 5 lakh cable TV homes by December this year.
What’s more? According to AMBC managing director Sujit Das, the MSO plans to bring at least 1,000 LCOs within its fold from the present over 450 LCOs affiliated to it.
Das informed that AMBC enjoys more than 1.56 lakh digital connections in the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA) in DAS regions where it has seeded set top boxes (STBs) including Hooghly, Howrah, Nadia, Salt Lake and North 24 Parganas among others. The Rs 180 monthly subscription pack is quite popular with customers among these 1.56 cable TV homes, he said.
The company has one digital headend catering to the KMA and three analogue headends, of which the ones at Arambag and Birbhum will be converted into digital ones with the implementation of DAS in analogue areas. “We have earmarked Rs 5 crore for converting the analogue headends into digital ones,” Das informed, adding that the MSO has 2.5 lakh analogue cable TV connections in locations such as Burdwan, Birbhum and parts of Bankura.
Asked to comment on phases 3 and 4 of DAS, Das said the locations where the company has an analogue presence happen to be price-sensitive with the monthly subscription fees around Rs 100 to Rs 110. “Keeping in mind the price sensitive market, we might do various permutations and combinations while providing the channel package to consumers in DAS 4 areas,” he added.
In Das’ words, AMBC is the first private limited company in the cable TV industry built with cable ops only and still run by a professional management team. The MSO works with the best channel sequence, which is reviewed from time to time depending on feedback from the ground.
On the subject of the tiff between MSOs and LCOs over the revenue share model agreement, Das said the company always tries to protect all its franchisee operators from the hazards of the cable industry. On a concluding note, he said AMBC is ready with CAS, STB and SMS to meet future requirements of the industry.
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.
