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.
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.
