Cable TV
Kolkata MSOs come together to address ground issues
KOLKATA: The multi-system operators (MSOs) alliance operating in the Kolkata Municipal (KM) Area plan to form a team comprising two members from each service provider. Since the billing process hasn’t kicked off the way it should have, the team would meet this week to discuss issues like billing, collection, disputes among operators among others.
If the effort of this alliance fails, an external agency may be brought on board to sort the issues troubling the group.
“First we will like to solve the issues through our team. We will consider a third party only if we fail to address them. The team comprising of decision makers and seniors would be formed this week,” said Siticable director Suresh Sethia.
Another MSO brought to the fore the issues they come across while collecting subscription fee from operators like they bring up issues related to under billing, area disputes among others, etc. “But on many occasions we have found that the last mile operators (LMOs) are complaining unnecessarily. Our team will go to assess the situation and address it,” he said.
“We are talking in order to work together in improving the ground,” said Advance Multisystem Broadband Communication (AMBC) managing director Sujit Das.
To implement the gross (consumer) billing for the month of January and bring transparency in the process, the MSOs are meeting regularly and discussing its smooth rollout. “Billing is a mess as LCOs are not willing to collect,” said Corpus Media Labs head sales GK Viswanath.
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.
