Cable TV
AOL Time Warner gets first foreign cable carriage rights in China
AOL Time Warner’s China Entertainment TV (CETV) has become the first foreign TV channel to be granted cable carriage rights in mainland China. According to the agreement with the People’s Republic of China, CETV, a 24-hour Mandarin language information and entertainment channel, will be distributed to cable TV subscribers in the southern region of China from January 2002. As part of the agreement, CCTV-9, the English-language news and information channel of the China Central Television network (China’s national broadcaster) will be carried on select Time Warner Cable systems – the first time a CCTV network will be carried on a 24-hour basis on any US cable system.
Gerald M Levin, CEO of AOL Time Warner, said the reciprocal nature of the agreement means that American audiences will gain a greater understanding of Chinese culture as well as an appreciation of the immense intellect, artistry and creativity of the Chinese people.
Following AOL Time Warner’s acquisition of the channel in June 2000, CETV was re-launched in February 2001. Reaching 80 million households in Asia via AsiaSat 3S, the channel airs a combination of original Chinese CO-productions as well as specially selected programming derived from AOL Time Warner resources, a company release says.
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.
