Cable TV
Cable stringing deadline unrealistic: Karnataka MSOs
BANGALORE: With the one-month time given to MSOs to implement design guidelines issued by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTC) about to expire, the Multi System Operators (MSO) argue that it would be impossible to adhere to the guidelines in the given timeframe and against the present set up.
“The KTPC’s design for stringing up of cables cannot be implemented at such a short notice. It’s too fancy and such standards should have been laid down at the initial stage itself,” opined an MSO.
“In many cases their low tension (LT) lines are too low, maintaining the clearances between the power lines and the cable wires and the cable wires and the ground would be impossible. The guidelines indicate that the cable wire must be at least 10 feet (3.05 meters) from the ground and at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) below LT wires; many of their LT wires are at only 10 feet from the ground. Also in many case, there is no room between the LT wires and the walls or other abutments to string the cables almost 7 feet (2 meters) from the pole,” the MSO added.
KTPC general manager (Technical) vide his circular dated 21 July has laid down guidelines for laying of OFC/co-axial cables on distribution network after the sad incident which claimed seven-year-old Anish’s life on 12 July when he came in contact with a loosely hanging ‘live’ cable wire.
Copies of the circular with guidelines with drawing and a checklist have reportedly been sent to a number of persons at all ESCOMs. The action taken for implementation of the circular guidelines and its execution will have to be furnished to the GM (Technical), KPTCL within 30 days of the issue of the circular.
Some of the guidelines in the circular specify the size of the messenger wire as 3.15 mm, 45 kg/sq. mm class GI wire, stating that cable tapping should not be done at the poles, but at-least 2 meters away from the poles. The minimum ground clearances have been specified as 5.8 metres across road and 3.05 metres along road. The communication/ TV cable wires should not run above power lines, they must always be below power lines. The clearance between the power line and messenger/cable wire has been specified as 1.8 metres when run under an 11KV line and 1.2 metres when run under a LT line.
In a separate development, Bangalore Electric Supply Company (Bescom) has re-iterated it’s threat to cut illegal cable wires from 19 August onwards. MSOs such as ICE1 and ICE2, among others, would be effected the most as per industry sources.
The Bescom had given cable operators time till 16 August to come up with proposals to help streamline the drawing of cables in the city. If the cable operators did not contact Bescom by 16 August Bescom would be forced to remove all illegally drawn cables and would not be responsible for any inconvenience caused to the public or to the illegal cable operators.
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.
