Cable TV
Arasu seeks more time to go digital as it waits for STBs
NEW DELHI: Even as the deadline for it to go digital concludes tomorrow, the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation has sought more time from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The Ministry had given the state-owned multi-system operator three months to switch off analogue and later extended this till 17 August 2017.
TACTV sources told indiantelevision.com that orders had been placed for an adequate number of digital set top boxes but these had still not been received.
Simultaneously, the sources said they had sought time from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for launch of digital signals.
The Principal Secretary to the state Government had sought thee months extension from 17 July but the centre agreed to give only one more month in a letter sent to TACTV dated 21 June 2017.
Consequently, TACTV had been asked to complete the digitization process by 17 August 2017 failing which the provisional ‘registration may be suspended/revoked.’
Copies of the letter were sent to the Principal Secretary of the Tamil Nadu IT Department, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, and the Commissioner/Superintendent of Police in Chennai.
Meanwhile, TRAI Chairman R S Sharma had said that as the Authority’s recommendations for not permitting state governments, political parties or religious groups into broadcasting or its distribution was still ‘under consideration’, it could only wait and watch.
Meanwhile while the Punjab government has also expressed a desire to enter distribution, the Telengana government wants satellite transpoders for TV channels it wants to launch.
Also read:
TRAI’s final recommendations on net neutrality likely by September
TRAI keeping watch over Arasu, TN MSO extends digital hardware bids deadline
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.
