DTH
Geo TV eyes UK market; sceptical about India
MUMBAI: Dubai headquartered Geo TV, the flagship channel from the Pakistan-based Jang group of media companies, has now decided to spread it wings and is eyeing the UK market, while firm in the belief that India is not yet ready for it.
As part of the expansion plans, Geo TV is also mulling having an additional channel, Geo TV-Entertainment, in Pakistan. The existing channel, Geo TV, transforms into a news channel there. The Jang group has also applied for a DTH licence in Pakistan.
According to a senior executive of Geo TV present at the Ficci-Frames, the next destination for the infotainment channel is the UK, where negotiations are on with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled BSkyB platform.
Though no time frame was enlisted by Geo TV for the UK debut, it is part of a game plan to have a footprint in markets where there is sizeable South Asian population, especially people of Pakistani origin.
In the US, the infotainment channel, which made its debut there last year on the EchoStar platform, beams into approximately 35,000 homes there targeting primarily South Asian viewers. Future target is to reach 50,000 homes.
Asked about Geo TV’s Indian plans, the company executive said that though an entertainment channel is being planned for the South Asian region, where the aim would be to exploit the Indian market more, the present regulatory regime in India would not make it commercially viable.
“A major part of our revenue comes from subscription and in the absence of any firm regulatory mechanism to this effect (read conditional access system), the Indian market looks a bit nebulous to enter into at present,” the executive said.
However, Geo TV is available in quite a few Indian cable homes and, at one time, the channel was looking at having distribution tie-ups with cable ops and MSOs here.
Explaining the difficulties in making an Indian foray, the Geo TV executive said that the channel has been on air without advertisements since inception, depending on subscription revenue. “In India, the mechanism for accounting the subscription revenue is still hazy and, hence, we would not like to make an Indian debut so soon,” the executive said.
Having an Indian presence would make eminent sense for the channel as several Indian television actors are increasingly being employed by Geo for their soaps and serials. Artistes like Sangeeta Ghosh, Aamna Shariff and Vikas Bhalla have been signed for serials on Geo.
As a stand alone channel in the US, it is priced at $ 15 per subscriber per month, while the target is to price the channel at £ 15 in the UK when it makes an entry there.
For UK the programming would be on the lines of the US feed and the effort will be to have localised content to cater to the South Asian viewers. The channel would also beam dramas, among other entertainment fare.
Geo TV airs programmes partly in Urdu and in English in the USA and has sizeable portion of local content The channel forayed into the Middle-East last year and airs there as a free-to-air channel on the Phela bouquet.
DTH
SITI Networks reports Rs 435.69 million loss amid insolvency process
Mounting losses and legal challenges continue to weigh on operations
MUMBAI: SITI Networks Limited, currently undergoing a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP), has reported its un-audited financial results for the quarter and half-year ended 30 September 2025. The company’s financial position remains under significant pressure, with ongoing losses and uncertainty around its ability to continue as a going concern.
The company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 435.69 million for the September 2025 quarter, taking its accumulated losses to Rs 29,388.36 million. Its net worth stands at a negative Rs 12,445.09 million, while current liabilities exceed assets by Rs 16,861.18 million, raising serious concerns about financial sustainability.
For the half-year period, consolidated revenue from operations declined to Rs 5,667.78 million from Rs 6,108.28 million in the corresponding period last year. Total current liabilities rose to Rs 24,796.07 million, driven largely by trade payables of Rs 11,030.22 million and borrowings of Rs 7,573.85 million.
The Resolution Professional has admitted financial creditor claims of Rs 11,292.66 million, along with operational and employee claims amounting to Rs 7,066.86 million. Meanwhile, statutory auditors have issued a “Disclaimer of Opinion,” citing lack of access to key information, including minutes of Committee of Creditors (CoC) meetings due to confidentiality constraints.
A dispute also continues over Rs 1,230 million appropriated by lenders from the company’s bank accounts during a “stay period.” The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has directed that this amount be held in a separate interest-bearing account until the matter is resolved.
Operationally, pay channel costs for the half-year stood at Rs 3,754.03 million. The company noted that if these costs were reported on a net basis, both revenue and expenses would appear lower, though there would be no impact on the net loss.
Additionally, Siti Jind Digital Media Communications ceased to be a subsidiary in October 2025 following approval of a resolution plan. SITI Networks’ future now depends on the successful implementation of its own resolution plan as it continues through the insolvency process.
