Cable TV
Delhi based cable operators form new body to represent case of smaller LCOs
NEW DELHI: Soon after the south based independent multi system operators (MSOs) decided to come together as one to ensure that they were well represented and could reap the benefits of digitisation, the Delhi based cable operators have decided to follow their path.
A total of 16 registered associations of Delhi cable operators have jointly formed the Cable Operators Welfare Federation. While A S Kohli from west Delhi has been elected chairman, Bhai Surjeet Singh will be the president of the newly formed association.
Singh told indiantelevision.com that the body had been formed to give a better representation to smaller LCOs so that the government does not ignore their pleas for justice while implementation of digital addressable system.
It is also learnt that a memorandum will be sent shortly to Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley seeking a common tariff for the rates charged by the multi-system operators in Delhi. Furthermore, the memorandum is expected to point out that while the MSOs receive carriage fee, the LCOs should get a share of this, and the LCOs should also be paid a share by broadcasters of pay channels who are earning huge revenue through advertisements.
The vice-presidents of the association are Raj Kumar Thappa, Dharmesh, Ashok Pandit, Kuldeep Rawal and Satish Bhatia. Vineet Kumar is the general secretary while the joint secretaries are Sudhir Kumar, Narinder Bhagdi, Prem, and Rajesh Pandit. Ramesh Duggal has been appointed as the treasurer.
The legal advisors are A K Uppadhay, Romesh Zadoo and Jayant Chadda and the media advisors are Parveen Arora, Ram Kishen Tomar and Sanjeev Bhatti.
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.
