Cable TV
Channel7 to be renamed IBN-7; Aaj Tak’s Ashutosh to head
MUMBAI: Global Broadcast News (GBN) and Jagran TV partnered Channel7 is to be rechristened. From 1 April onwards, the Hindi news channel will be called IBN-7.
The channel has also roped in Aaj Tak deputy executive producer Ashutosh as managing editor. One of the most experienced hands of Aaj Tak, Ashutosh is slated to join Channel7 within the next few weeks.
CNN-IBN editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai and Channel7 editorial head Ajit Sahi could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report. Sahi has already put in his papers, sources close to the developments aver.
According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the editorial team of Channel7 (IBN-7) will see further restructuring in the coming days.
Last month, TV18’s GBN and Jargan TV entered into an agreement of an equal joint venture. The process of the complete amalgamation of the venture is likely to be accomplished by June-July. Although the JTL chairman Mahendra Gupta leads the board of the JV, while the editorial, production, distribution and other operations of Channel7 rest with the TV18 Group.
Channel7, which launched in March 2005, is now part of the TV18 Group’s bouquet of channels that include CNBC TV18, Awaaz and newly launched English language CNN IBN.
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.
