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.
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.
