Cable TV
Chennai Corp cracks the whip on cable TV ops
MUMBAI: A major crackdown on cable TV operators is taking place in Chennai.
The Chennai civic body, The Chennai Corporation has gone on a drive to collect infrastructure usage and registration charges from local cable TV operators in the city.
Sources in Chennai revealed that around 16 companies were given legal status after they coughed up Rs 1 crore to the corporation. Currently, the civic body charges Rs 9,400 per km as infrastructure use rent to cable TV and telecom operators, though a proposal to hike it to Rs 32,000 is pending with the government.
The Chennai Corporation has been trying to clean up the city and had issued orders to its employees and staff to snap cables of the operators who did not pay up. It expects to collect another Rs 1 crore in the coming week.
The civic body is expected to next streamline the way the cables have been strung over head all over Chennai, say officials.
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.
