Cable TV
CNN-IBN and Channel 7 line up special shows for Independence day
MUMBAI: CNN-IBN and Channel 7 has lined-up a special package to celebrate Independence Day with slew of programmes. The package includes shows In August Country, State of the Nation, India Rocks, Shahrukh Unplugged, August Kranti and Sorry Sir.
Starting 14 August, CNN-IBN will showcase a half hour special In August Country at 8:30 pm and the same will air on 15 August. The viewers can also participate in an interactive quiz based on every story aired during In August Country.
Channel 7 will feature August Kranti at 7:30 pm on 15 August, where the channels will revisit historic places like Chori Chora, Jalianwala Bagh, Dandi and many more where the Indian freedom struggle reached great heights and won the battle for independence.
State of the Nation is another independence week special on the anvil, which will track the state of the nation, based on an exhaustive pan India poll conducted by CSDS, spanning across 20 states with over 24,000 touch points, according to an official release. The opinion will be presented in a four episode special India’s Best CM, Dietary Habits, Terrorism in India and Youth of the city from 12 to 15 August at 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:00 pm and 9:30 pm respectively on CNN-IBN.
The two channel brings forth a musical special India Rocks, which present Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Shabana Azmi, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shubha Mudgal, Salman Ahmad (Pakistani singer), Raghav Sachar, Mohit Chauhan and many more on 15 August at 1:30 pm on CNN-IBN and at 9:30 pm on Channel7. This show will also feature a song by a terminally ill child with “make a wish” composed and sung by Zubeen Garg.
CNN-IBN will feature a live-on-air Independence day kids quiz on 15 August. This inter-school zonal (north, south, east and east) live quiz contest will hunt the best ‘kid quiz brain’ in the country. Anchored by Vidhya Shankar Aiyar, the morning segments will air the elimination rounds and the finals will be aired at 1:00 pm.
The channel will also air Shahrukh Unplugged where Rajeev Masand catches up with the star to understand what ‘Independence’ means to him on the day at 2:30 pm.
Sorry Sir on Channel 7 will be a satire on hamare neta, by the best poets and performers like Sagar Khayyami Adil Lucknowi, Popular Meeruthi, Rahat Indori, Jemini Haryanwi on 12 August at 9:30 pm and also Apne Apne Laloo, which is a mimicry show put up by the Great Indian Laughter Champions on the railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, which will air in short capsules throughout the Independence Day.
Highlighting the special line-up on I-Day, CNN-IBN and Channel7 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai says, ” CNN-IBN is all set to give the discerning viewers an unforgettable family viewing experience this Independence Day. Our wide-range programming is especially designed for viewers of all age groups and we are in high spirits to celebrate the Independence Day with our viewers.”
Channel 7 managing editor Ashutosh shares,”Channel 7 with its special programming aims to awaken the spirit of patriotism amongst the audience as India enters the 60th year of Independence. Along with the patriotic element we decided to give a fun filled and lighthearted dimension to Independence Day, with a variety of entertaining shows. We feel confident that viewers will appreciate the shows and we will be successful in truly making Independence Day a memorable one.”
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.
