Cable TV
Ivanka Trump joins her father on ‘The Apprentice’
MUMBAI: Ivanka Trump will join her father Donald Trump who hosts US broadcaster NBC’s business based reality show The Apprentice for boardroom duty on 6 March.
The teams are given their second task — to generate text messages via a marketing campaign promoting Gillette’s Fusion Razor. The candidates are challenged as they persuade New Yorkers to text message on their mobile phones. The team with the most text messages wins.
The winning team is rewarded the opportunity to give back to the community by outfitting disadvantaged men from the “Career Gear Charity” in new signature Trump apparel, including suits, watches and cufflinks as they face their first business interview, with a new look.
Meanwhile Donald Trump will kick off the sixth season casting search of The Apprentice by personally interviewing applicants at Universal Studios in Hollywood on 10 March — the first stop of a 17-city tour to find the next “Apprentice.”
For the first time in the history of the show, The Apprentice will leave Manhattan and move to southern California for season six, which shoots this summer and airs in fall 2006.
Trump says, “People who want to challenge themselves in the ultimate business competition should definitely come apply. They’ll be facing a whole new series of twists, turns and challenges when we take The Apprentice to southern California.”
Trump will also interview applicants in person at the New York City casting call, slated for 24 March at Trump Tower, and casting directors will visit 15 other cities throughout March and April.
Prospective applicants should be able to take risks, bounce back after failing, succeed in a cutthroat environment, go against the tide, remain focused, think creatively and be a leader. Interested candidates should complete the online application form at www.nbc.com and apply for one of the most coveted jobs in the US.
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.
