Cable TV
BBC’s re-tendering process for its outsourced financial services enters next phase
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has launched the next phase in the re-tendering process for its outsourced financial services. The process began in December 2005 with the publication of a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
It has attracted a wide interest from service providers. Seven organisations are being taken through to the next round, all of whom have demonstrated a strong desire and credibility to be potential suppliers for the BBC’s outsourced financial services.
The successful companies are ACS, Capita, EDS, Genpact, IBM, Progeon and Xansa. BBC’s director of finance Zarin Patel said, “I am delighted that we have had such a positive response from bidders. We can now go through to the next stage of the evaluation process with confidence that we have a strong field to choose from.”
The seven bidders will proceed to the next stage of the process, and a short list will be published later this year. Final negotiations will then take place, and it is expected that the final winner will be announced in autumn 2006. The new contract is due to start in July 2007.
The re-tendering of the financial outsourcing deal is expected to deliver significant savings to the BBC as part of a strategy to put extra resources into programmes and transform the organisation into a simpler and more creative digital broadcaster. No BBC staff posts are currently within the defined services being procured.
The financial services being re-tendered were originally outsourced in 1997 to Medas as part of a ten year contract which will end in June 2007. Services currently provided by Medas include payments to external suppliers, artists, contributors, staff payroll, expenses processes and the management and maintenance of related financial systems.
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.
