DTH
Cable TV suspended in parts of Pakistan; Senate okays DTH plan
MUMBAI: Cable operators have suspended their services in different areas of Pakistan after unfruitful dialogue with the government on the postponement of Direct-To-Home (DTH) licences to be auctioned tomorrow.
Around three million consumers use Indian DTH, and the government plans to eliminate it through local facilities and save about PKR 24 billion in capital flight to India. Estimates of DTH users range from 70,000 to 2.5 million with most of them concentrated in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.
Cable services in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Gujarat and Multan have been suspended. In Balochistan’s capital Quetta, however, cable TV was still running, Pakistani newspapers reported.
Pakistan’s Senate panel on information, broadcasting and national heritage has asked Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to proceed with its decision to launch an indigenous Direct to Home (DTH) television system.
Opposing the move, operators started suspending their services in various parts following their complete strike call from Monday evening. Cable Operators’ Association staged a protest at the press club announcing closure of the services.
The Senate meeting, chaired by senator Kamil Ali Agha, was informed by PEMRA chairman Absar Alam that it held successful meeting with the operators and decided that Pakistani DTH would be launched in November 2017 giving them time for system upgradation. Still, they announced shutdown of cable, he added.
Alam said that operators had no problem with illegal Indian DTH and demanded to lift ban on Indian content. But, they want the PEMRA DTH plan abolished which was unconvincing. Alam said PEMRA had taken concrete steps to stop Indian content and Indian movies on the cable.
Earlier, finance minister Ishaq Dar reportedly refused to agree to operators’ demand and decided that the DTH auction will be held as per schedule on Wednesday. The successful bidder however would start its operation from November next year.
Not budging from their positions, operators are now likely to go on strike for an indefinite period. Cable Operators Association chairman Khalid Arain, on 15 November, said that DTH launch was not justified since the cable operators invested billions in converting the analogue cable system into the digital one. Arain said they needed at least three years to create awareness among the people about cable digitalisation.
Unlike the analogue connections, DTH service is a digital platform that transfers channels directly into homes from satellite through small dish antennas. The service is reliable and allows consumers to view high-definition video. The quality of channels at the end on the bandwidth does not diminish such as those on cable.
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DTH
Den Networks reports Rs 1,227 million FY26 profit growth
Revenue crosses Rs 10,009 million as margins improve and costs ease
MUMBAI: Not all signals are on screen some are buried in the balance sheet. Den Networks has reported a steady financial performance for FY26, with profit after tax rising to Rs 1,227.53 million, reflecting improved operational discipline despite a relatively flat top line. For the year ended March 31, 2026, the company posted revenue from operations of Rs 10,009.17 million, marginally higher than Rs 9,891.45 million in FY25. Total income stood almost unchanged at Rs 12,282.10 million compared to Rs 12,279.77 million a year earlier, signalling stability rather than aggressive expansion.
The real story, however, lies beneath the surface. Total expenses declined to Rs 10,648.32 million from Rs 10,691.30 million, driven by tighter cost controls across key heads. Employee benefit expenses dropped to Rs 548.64 million from Rs 651.52 million, while depreciation and amortisation expenses also eased to Rs 652.01 million from Rs 723.06 million, indicating a leaner operational structure.
As a result, profit before tax rose to Rs 1,633.78 million from Rs 1,588.47 million, while profit after tax improved to Rs 1,227.53 million, up from Rs 1,173.96 million in the previous year. Earnings per share stood at Rs 2.57, compared to Rs 2.46 in FY25, underlining incremental shareholder value creation.
On the balance sheet front, the company’s total assets expanded to Rs 43,416.76 million from Rs 42,496.64 million, supported by a sharp rise in bank balances to Rs 30,628.71 million. Equity also strengthened to Rs 38,532.74 million, reflecting accumulated profits and a growing financial cushion.
Cash flow dynamics, however, present a more nuanced picture. While investing activities generated a net inflow of Rs 632.80 million, operating activities saw an outflow of Rs 553.50 million, largely due to tax payments and working capital adjustments. The company ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 151.70 million, up from Rs 106.11 million.
Taken together, the numbers suggest a business that is prioritising efficiency over expansion holding revenue steady while tightening costs and strengthening its balance sheet. In an industry where growth often grabs headlines, Den Networks appears to be making a quieter statement: sometimes, resilience is the real signal.
