Cable TV
CAS Bill to be introduced in Upper House on Monday
NEW DELHI: The Cable TV Amendment Bill 2002 has been listed for business on the agenda of the Rajya Sabha (RS – the Upper House) for 5 August.
A three hour time period has been allowed for debate on the contentious issue of conditional access systems (CAS) in India when it comes up in the RS on Monday. Government sources say the business advisory panel of the Indian Parliament has agreed to the re-listing of the Bill seeking to amend the cable TV regulation act of 1995 on the RS’ agenda.
The Bill’s passage through the Lok Sabha and subsequent delay in being introduced, let alone be cleared, in the RS has caused a lot of angst amongs the CATV community and opposition members. It even resulted in blackouts by cable ops in Delhi and Mumbai over the past two weeks. However, information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj’s assurance that the bill would get the importance it deserves no matter what the opposition, pacified the CATV trade.
The cable industry has been vociferous in its protest that the government has been giving into various pulls and pressures and hence delaying the passage of the CAS amendment to the CATV act.
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.
