Cable TV
Louis Boswell appointed CASBAA CEO
MUMBAI: CASBAA Association has appointed Louis Boswell, senior media and digital business leader in Asia, as the chief executive officer (CEO). Boswell will begin his tenure on 1 January 2018, succeeding outgoing CEO Christopher Slaughter.
As CEO for CASBAA, Boswell will serve as the content distribution industry’s leading advocate with industry leaders and policymakers throughout Asia-Pacific. In addition to driving the programs and initiatives of the association, Boswell will work with business heads of the member organisations to shape the increasingly rapid evolution of the industry in the region.
“Louis is one of the most well respected senior commercial executives in the content distribution industry in Asia. We are proud to have him leading our association. Louis’s track record of leadership and insight make him an ideal fit to work strategically with in-country business and government leaders to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as the industry continues to invest, innovate and evolve at an unprecedented pace”, said Chair of the CASBAA board of directors and 21st Century Fox senior vice president Joe Welch.
“I am thrilled to be joining CASBAA”, Boswell commented. “The industry is changing and it is paramount that its representative body keeps up and is reflective of those changes. I believe the need for CASBAA is greater now than it ever has been and I look forward to making sure that we lead the industry from the front as we confront those changes.”
“Louis is a true professional, able to listen, rationalise differing viewpoints and then drive execution”, said Henry Tan of ASTRO who worked closely with Boswell on the AETN All Asia Networks joint venture. “He will make an excellent head of the association.”
Boswell’s background in Asia includes senior positions at Discovery, ESPN Star Sports, BBC, AETN All Asia Networks and, most recently, as the general manager, Asia for Da Vinci. His experience includes leading businesses in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and all of the major markets in Southeast Asia.
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.
