Cable TV
Kolkata MSOs won’t change package price till June 2014
KOLKATA: On 6 December last year, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) met the multi-system operators (MSOs) in Kolkata to extend the deadline for initiating gross (consumer) billing from 10 December to 15 December.
Now, the MSOs have assured cable TV subscribers that they will try and keep the package price unchanged till June this year, although they are contemplating a price rise post June.
The MSOs have also requested subscribers to collect bills from local cable operators (LCOs) before dishing out the subscription fee for January. This is to bring in transparency in the billing process for the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA).
It is further learnt that the MSOs are meeting regularly to discuss smooth rollout of gross billing in the KMA area, especially after having been asked by the West Bengal as well as central government authorities to expedite the billing process.
Said Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh: “We will continue with the package and we all are trying to keep the price of package untouched till June. The MSOs will try to absorb the cost themselves.
According to Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia, the entire process would take some time. “Customers are happy. Operators too want the billing to be in place. Also, we have put up advertisements in newspapers for consumer awareness regarding billing apart from local channels,” he said.
As per TRAI regulations, subscribers get a period of 15 days from the date of the bill to make the payment.
“In case the subscriber fails to make the payment after the expiry of the due date of payment, we will charge interest on the outstanding amount,” Sethia informed.
Director of Den, Sanjoy Basu, opined that the new facility introduced as per the TRAI regulations would usher greater transparency in billing.
With nearly 30 lakh cable homes, gross billing is definitely expected to regularise the hitherto ad-hoc system of billing.
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.
