Cable TV
GGCTOA writes to APDCL, asks to disclose electric pole data for Guwahati
MUMBAI: The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) and Greater Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association (GGCTOA) still seem to be at loggerheads on the issue of the payment for the electric poles. After several meetings and deadlines, the issue remains unresolved.
The issue began in September last year when APDCL asked the cable operators in Assam to pay Rs 25 per electric pole per month. The issue has just stretched since then, the last set deadline for cable operators to pay Rs 25 as electric pole fee was 22 January. It was then that GGCTOA approached the Guwahati High Court. The High Court, in the hearing held on 29 January, has asked both parties to come on a consensus by 28 February.
“Let the required exercise be carried out as expeditiously as possible preferably within 28.02.2014, subject however, to the condition that petitioner shall pay the change of Rs 10 per pole for a period of one month i.e. up to 28.02.2014, which however is subject to the final outcome of the exercise required to be carried out in terms of the order and without prejudicing the rights and contentions of the parties. Needless to say that in the event of the prayer of the petitioners finds favour of APDCL authority, the said amount will be adjusted with future charge, if any, or refunded,” the Guwahati HC order reads.
However, now GGCTOA has written to the APDCL and has asked to disclose the number of poles used by the cable operators. “We have written to the APDCL on 3 February and have asked them to arrange for a meeting and also give us the complete data of the number of polls used by the cable operators and amount that has to be collected, since we do not have any such data with us,” informs GGCTOA general secretary Md Iquebal Ahmed.
The cable operators have also agreed to pay Rs 10 per electric pole per month in the interim. “But for that we will need the data. Also, if in this interim the APDCL can bring down the electric pole fee to Rs 10 or less, we will be happy. If it doesn’t, we will again approach the court,” adds Ahmed.
According to APDCL, 31,000 electric poles in Guwahati are being used by the cable operators. “The HC expects us to settle down issues before 28 February. We will decide on that in the coming days,” says APDCL public relation officer Chandra Mudoi, informing that they have received the letter from GGCTOA and will act on it soon.
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.
