Cable TV
MSOs may use single control room for DAS & analogue with separate IRDs from broadcasters
NEW DELHI: Multi-system operators (MSOs) must take separate IRDs for digital signals for Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III areas and analogue signals for Phase IV areas from broadcasters to enable transmission of DAS in Phase III areas while not affecting the final phase areas.
In an advisory, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said however that MSOs are permitted to use a single control room for transmitting digital for Phase III s well as analogue signals for Phase IV.
It was pointed out that according to Section 4A of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995, it is obligatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of any channels in an encrypted form through a digital addressable system from such date as may be notified for any area.
While the cut-off for implementation of DAS for Phase III areas is 31 December 2015, it is exactly a year later for Phase IV.
The clarification came as the Ministry said it “is learnt that some MSOs are having a single control room for feeding Phase III & IV areas. In this connection a confirmation has been sought by some MSOs that Phase III & IV areas can be fed from the same control room.”
The Ministry also cautioned that while taking up such arrangement, MSOs must ensure that only DAS signals are transmitted in Phase III areas.
However, voluntary digitisation in Phase IV areas is advisable, the note by Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) R Jaya said.
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.
