Cable TV
J&K operators in a quandary, claim banned channels have GEC & all-religion content
MUMBAI: The Indian Government’s directive to the Jammu and Kashmir Government to stop the transmission of 34 television channels from Muslim countries including Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia has put the cable operators in a quandary. Several foreign channels went off air in most parts of the Valley on Sunday after the Indian government order.
Most of these channels broadcast programmes about sports, religion and lifestyle and none incites violence, Kashmir Cable Operators Association stated. The ban comes around a month after the state blocked social media web sites throughout the Valley.
The Indian government had asked the J&K administration to take stern action against private cable operators airing illegal Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels. Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has reportedly directed the J&K government to submit a report at the earliest. www.indiantelevision.com could not speak to the director (BP& L) in the ministry on the concrete plan of action in spite of several attempts.
Operators reportedly broadcast around 34 channels illegally such as Peace TV, Ary QTV, Saudi Sunnah, Karbala, Saudi Quran, Al Arabia, Paigham, Hidayat, Sehar, Hadi TV, Sehar, Noor, Madani, Bethat, Ahlibat, Falak, Dawn News, Geo News, Ary News, TV One, ARY Masala, PTV Sports, A TV, Abb Tak News, 92 News, Duniya News, Waseb TV, Samaa News and Express News.
According to the operators, they could neither defy the ban order nor could they afford to stop telecasting channels which are highly popular among the masses in the Valley. Kashmir Cable Association stated that there were around 300 channels in the Valley which include 22 channels for the Sikh community, 15 for Hindu and 25 Islamic.
The Cable Operators Association stated that it has decided to defy the order as their business heavily depends on these channels. Asked about the consequence, it stated that they were prepared if the authorities seize their equipment and close down their business.
Channels such as ARY Musik telecasts Sufi music, ARY Zauq or Ham Masala are cooking channels from Pakistan while Saudi 1 airs live feed from Haram Sharif in Makkah 24×7 as does Karbala TV from the shrine of Imam Hussain, a TV viewer said.
An order issued by the principal secretary, home department, R K Goyal, to all the deputy magistrates (deputy commissioners) of the state said. “It needs being noted that transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley.”
Some cable operators alleged that the Delhi-based communal media, motivated by anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan politics of Hindutva, is behind the closure of Pakistani and religious channels in the territory. The operators said that they were showing all the religious channels belonging to every faith, which includes Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and others.
Meanwhile, prominent Islamic scholars on Monday expressed serious concern over the ban, saying the curbs on religious teachings would have repercussions. They said that channels such as Saudi Al-Quran and Saudi Sunnah only telecast Islamic teachings.
While Delhi has banned the channels, operators in Kashmir cite the Ranbir Penal Code, a separate law in Kashmir, according to which the ban is not applicable.
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.
