Cable TV
Demonetisation: Naidu claims there’s no slump in TV/film industry
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has denied reports of any slump in the entertainment industry because of demonetisation. Naidu said he had seen reports in the media but had not received any representations from any section of the television or film industry to the effect that it had suffered because of the demonetisation.
Addressing an end-of-year press meet, he said that there was no delay in the clearances of registration of multi-system operators and that was being done in accordance with the laid-down procedures, he said answering a question on security clearances being obtained “whenever needed’ for television channels or MSOs.
At the press meet which was largely about demonetisation and the stand of the opposition to it, Naidu said that the country was digitising at a pace that was unexpected. Young people who constituted the majority of the population were taking to mobile modes of payment and encouraging cashless banking. He denied any ‘policy paralysis’ and said digitisation was taking place in every sphere of public life.
Over ten million people had switched over to digital modes of payment in just 20 days after demonetisation. Even media analysts who had predicted negatively will have to admit the transformation and the fact that the present government was a scandal-free government.
Speaking later to indiantelevision.com, Naidu said it was for the MSOs to ensure that subscribers were not forced to buy cheap set-top boxes that did not meet the standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards.
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.
