Cable TV
Cablequest to hold CAS seminar in Bangalore on 20 May
MUMBAI: With the deadline for Conditional Access System (CAS) barely two months away, the media industry is on tenterhooks regarding its impact and successful implementation. To examine the various CAS related issues, Cablequest magazine is organising a day-long CAS seminar in Bangalore’s Hotel Atriya on 20 May 2003.
During the course of the seminar, the Cablequest team comprising of professionals (with an experience of more than 10 years in the industry) will point out as to how the representatives of cable trade would benefit from this new change which will bring about a revolution in the country.
According to the release, prominent persons from the industry will speak on various issues related to CAS which include the CAS bill, digital and analog technology, BIS standards, financial aspects, digital headends and getting the network ready for CAS.
For registration and further details you could log onto the website www.cable-quest.com or call at 011-25131540. The delegates will be charged a fee of Rs 750 and Rs 1200 for two persons.
Seminar programme
Session-1
The Conditional Access amendment Act 2002
A discussion on salient features of the Act and its implications on the business of cable operators, broadcasters and the consumers.
Session-2
Basics of conditional access technology
How the technology will work for you and new scenario of programme packaging.
Session-3
Digital CAS
Highlighting the working of Digital CAS and set-top- boxes; its advantages and disadvantages.
Session-4
Analog CAS
Functioning of analog conditional access and set-top-boxes. Its advantages and disadvantages.
Session-5
Subscriber management and billing system
Hardware requirement and interfacing of SMS with CAS hardware; basic functioning; billing of subscribers and interaction with broadcasters.
Session-6
Financial aspects of CAS
Financing the CAS hardware at the headend; financing options of Set-top-Boxes for the subscribers.
Session-7
BIS Specifications
Specification for hardware at the headend; specification for Set-top Boxes; digital as well as analog.
Session-8
Scrambling techniques and open architect
Methods of scrambling in analog and digital systems. Functioning of open architecture; advantages and disadvantages.
Session-9
Preparing CATV Network for CAS
What upgrades and modifications are required to introduce different types of CAS in a Cable TV Network.
Session-10
Headend In The Sky (HITS)
The concept that may become boon to small and independent operators.
Session-11
Implementation of CAS
Hassles to be faced in implementing CAS; preparing oneself for 15 July 2003; preparing subscribers for the new technology; price structure; post CAS.
Session-12
Internet on cable and value addition
Providing Internet and value added services on cable; using Set-Top-Boxes as gateway to Internet, Video-on-demand etc.
Session-13
HFC Networking in CAS environment
Using fibre optic Networking to enhance the quality & extent of a network to facilitate CAS installation.
Fibre to home technology.
Session-14
Question and answer session
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.
