Cable TV
George Lucas to make 3D TV series of Star Wars
MUMBAI: Star Wars creator George Lucas has agreed to write 100 one-hour episodes for television to be shown in 3D.
The series is being produced by Rick McCullum and is expected to spark a big-money bidding war between the BBC and ITV, reports said.
“Writers will soon start work to prepare for filming and release in 2008, said McCallum adding, ” The series will introduce “a whole bunch of new characters” and be “much more dramatic and darker”. George Lucas has committed himself to writing the Star Wars TV series. It’ll all be new because the originals will be too old.”
They will fill in the missing years between 2005’s prequel, Revenge Of The Sith, and original film Star Wars, made in 1977. The TV series will focus on the rise of Darth Vader’s dark empire and will feature original actor Anthony Daniels, who played robot C-3P0.
The Star Wars films are among the most popular ever made and tell the story of the descent into evil of Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker and his redemption by son, Luke.
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.
