Cable TV
KDMC opts SCM Microsystems to provide CableCards for Korean digital TV
MUMBAI: SCM Microsystems, Inc. has been selected by Korea Digital Cable Media Center Co (KDMC), South Korea’s digital cable service provider, to supply OpenCable compliant CableCard modules for the deployment of new pay-TV services.
SCM will begin supplying CableCard modules to KDMC in December as the cable service provide begins to transition its more than two million subscribers from their current analog service to new digital and interactive services, including digital TV, PPV, VoD and interactive data broadcasting, informs an official release.
The modules incorporate the NDS VideoGuard conditional access (CA) system and will be used to protect cable pay-TV content from piracy.
SCM and NDS have conducted extensive interoperability testing with the Korean set-top manufacturers selected by KDMC, including Humax Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
“SCM’s commitment to the OpenCable standard and its abilty to work closely with CA partners such as NDS give us assurance that SCM is providing the best solution available, both today and in the future,” said KDMC president Park Seong-Duck.
SCM Microsystems CEO, Robert Schneider adds, “SCM has made significant investments to develop OpenCable compliant CableCard modules for the emerging digital cable market in Korea. KDMC is now the fifth South Korean MSO to select SCM technology, giving SCM the leading position in this market. We look forward to working with KDMC to deploy CableCard modules so that their subscribers can experience the benefits of digital and interactive broadcasting.”
The South Korean government is targeting to deploy digital cable television to between six and nine million households in South Korea over the next several years with an aim to create a digital television industry that is both competitive for consumers and profitable for operators.
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.
