Cable TV
Casbaa to stage satellite industry forum
MUMBAI: The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) will stage the Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum on Monday 14 June 2004 in Singapore at the Fullerton Hotel.
ViaSat chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg will speak on ground-breaking technologies and regional market drivers such as new broadband applications while Middle East system operator Thuraya chairman Mohammed Omran will deal with the latest operating environment, during the event. Featured speakers also inclde the satellite industry’s US state department regulator Steve Lett, Loral SkyNet president Terry Hart, HBO Asia ceo Jonathan Spink and Telkom South Africa ceo Sizwe Nxasana, informs a press release.
Topics expected to come under discussion include issues such as the power of direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting and Asia’s improving regulatory environment. The day will also see high-powered ceo forum named “satellites looking up” debating on the Asian satellite industry.
This will be an exciting and challenging day for the Asian satellite business,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, Casbaa. “Yet again we turn to the experts to give us guidance on the why, when, how and ‘how much’ issues that face the Asia Pacific industry. This will be fun as well as informative.”
Casbaa has appointed Hong Kong-based specialist marketing agency Branded, to undertake the marketing of the event. Sponsors for the Casbaa Satellite Industry Forum 2004 include ILS, Loral Skynet, AsiaSat, Arianespace, Marsh, Boeing, PanAmSat, Worldsat and Measat. The official media partner for the event is TelecomAsia with other media partners including BroadcastPapers, Content & Technology, Satellite Finance and Satellite Evolution Asia, informs the official release.
Full details of the programme and registration procedures is available on the Casbaa website
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.
