Cable TV
Assam cable ops now take APDCL to Court
MUMBAI: Following failure to comply with the 22 January deadline set by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) as regards payment for usage of electric pole, the Greater Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association (GGCTOA) representing the Assam cable operators has now approached the Guwahati High Court.
“We decided to move the High Court after talks with several state ministers and the APDCL on the issue of extending the deadline for complying with payment for electric pole usage failed. Also, we have not yet agreed to the Rs 25 per electric pole per month module as proposed by APDCL,” informed GGCTOA general secretary Md Iquebal Ahmed.
For long now, the GGCTOA has been demanding reduction in electric pole usage fees from Rs 25 per month to Rs 8-10 per month. Despite numerous meetings with APDCL officials and also a meeting with Assam Power Minister Pradyut Bordloi on 24 December last year, the cable operators haven’t got any respite.
At the 17 December meeting between GGCTOA and APDCL, the latter had asked operators in the Guwahati Metro region to start paying Rs 25 per electric pole per month from 15 January itself. It was only later that GGCTOA bought some more time and got the deadline for compliance extended to 22 January.
GGCTOA has filed the petition on 23 January and the case should be up for hearing next week. The case will be presented in the Court by advocate PK Goswami.
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.
