Cable TV
Delhi C&S reach higher among SEC D,E
MUMBAI: NRS 2003 figures for the capital follow the national trend.
Radio in Delhi shows the most significant growth in penetration followed by cable and satellite. Radio reach has increased by nine per cent, while that of cable and satellite (C&S) has gone up by five per cent.
Radio v/s Cable
Ironically, though C&S penetration has increased across all SEC segments, it is relatively higher in the lower D and E class. It is the other way around in radio, as in this medium, the more significant increase in penetration has happened in the higher SECs – A and B.
Also, the penetration of C&S has increased in both gender segments, but the growth is relatively higher amongst women in Delhi. The reverse holds true for radio, with growth in reach higher among men.
Almost 60 per cent of the adult population can be reached through C&S in Delhi, while 45 per cent can be reached through radio.
Print penetration drops
The penetration of print though has dropped in Delhi by a significant six per cent from 58 per cent to 52 per cent, while the penetration of cinema has remained constant at six per cent. The growing medium of the Internet too has seen a two per cent increase in penetration – from six per cent to eight per cent.
In print, both dailies and magazines are contributing to the significant drop in penetration, say the findings. However, the drop in penetration is higher in the magazine segment. The penetration of dailies has dropped by five per cent, while for magazine segment the drop is nine per cent.
Also, it is primarily the language segment that is contributing to the drop of print in Delhi metro. The Hindi press has dropped by six per cent while the English press has fared a little better with just a one per cent drop in penetration. The penetration of English dailies remain more or less constant.
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.
