Cable TV
Hathway launches interactive music channel ITV Digital
MUMBAI: The Rajan Raheja promoted Hathway Cable & Datacom, in which Star India has a 26 per cent stake, has launched a dial-up interactive music channel I-TV through its digital services.
The channel, which was launched yesterday and is currently available in Mumbai and Pune, will also be taken to other cities in due course, according to a statement issued by the MSO. Hathway is already running a movie and entertainment based channel CCC.
“I-TV Digital will be a completely ‘ads-free’ channel and with its launch through our digital services Hathway ensures that its viewers receive great music that caters to all ages,” company spokesperson Haresh Gehaney was quoted in the release as saying.
The I-TV Digital is packaged differently for its viewers who will be able to choose from a wider variety of songs categorised into various genres that include rock, pop, classical (English & Hindi), reggae and remixes.
I-TV operates through the advanced hands-free technology for providing instant music on demand. Software the channel uses enables the operation of the service from a video server placed at each and every head-end in cities, which in turn are connected via the cable TV network, states the release.
Hathway’s digital cable TV services provides more than 150+ TV channels, radio channels and value added features like EPG as well as gaming (introduced last month).
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.
