Cable TV
MIPTV day two to have keynotes by Burnett, Miller
MUMBAI: One of the driving forces behind reality television and a visionary TV producer Mark Burnett and AOL chief Jonathan Miller headline the conference activities on the second day of MIPTV, alongside panels on on-demand viewing and Asian television trends.
AOL chairman and CEO Miller will speak at 5 15 pm on 4 April. His keynote, The Internet and the Future of Television, will look at what effects new media will have on traditional viewing, and what AOL’s place is in this evolving landscape, using as a case study the Internet company’s coverage of Live 8.
Immediately following Miller’s speech, at 5 50 pm Burnett will deliver The New Reality: Entertainment Everywhere, looking at what it takes to create multiplatform content.
Following, at 615 pm, KenRadio Broadcasting in the U.S’ Ken Rutkowski will host a Q&A session with both Miller and Burnett.
Earlier at 10 am on 4 April, Rutkowski also moderates the On-Demand TV SuperPanel: Evolution of Media Business Models, Threats and Opportunities. Exploring alternative revenue streams for broadcasters, content providers and advertisers, the panel will include Nielsen Analytics SVP and GM Larry Gerbrandt; Sparrowhawk Media/Hallmark Channel CEO David Hulbert; Brightcover chairman and CEO Jeremy Allaire; BBH U.S’ former chairman Cindy Gallop; CEO and co-founder of Sling Media Blake Krikorian and the CEO and chairman of Video Networks Roger Lynch.
Three sessions take place at 11 45 am. Mobile Video On-Demand: Turning Grey Time to Prime Time, organized with Digital Rum, will include, among others, the head of mobile data products at O2 Hugh Griffiths; the head of interactive at MTV Networks for the U.K. and Ireland Matt Kershaw; the director of strategy and business development at Nokia Juha Lipiainen and the director of Sky Interactive at BSkyB Ian Valentine.
In the Asian Television Market Update, ImaginAsian TV’s VP of programming and acquisition, David Chu, will moderate a session with the chairman of The Interactive Channel Robert Chua; the head of the global strategy team at KBS Mun-Ki Eun; the president of China’s Pegasus & Taihe Entertainment International Jianjun Sun; Animax Japan Maseo Takiyama; and the CEO of MediaCorp TV12 Singapore Alice Tan.
Meanwhile, In Fresh Around the World, WIT’s Virginia Mouseler will look at some of the trends in television around the world.
The afternoon sessions include Internet TV Comes of Age and Docu Drama: What Is It Really? at 3 pm. The latter will be moderated by TF1 reporter Loïck Berrou and will include the documentary acquisitions manager at RTI/Mediatrade Daniela Bagliani; editor in chief at CCTV Jason Chen; producer at France’s Boréales-Winds Frédéric Fougea; Granada International’s Noel Hedges and the VP of historical programming at The History Channel Carl Lindahl.
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.
