Cable TV
MSOs resume service of Sun Network channels
MUMBAI: Multi system operators (MSOs) have resumed the service of Sun Network channels Teja News and Aditya on their cable networks after being assured by the Group that there was no intention of acquiring 51 per cent stake in their companies.
Sun Network officials clarified to a group of MSOs at a meeting in Hyderabad on Thursday that “such rumours were being deliberately floated by vested interests to harm their relationship with operators on the ground.” The company had no design to acquire MSOs in the state and no threat calls were made to the operators. “Obviously, a broadcaster did not want our channels to be carried by the cable operators. The MSOs were wrongly guided,” a Sun official told Indiantelevision.com.
A group of MSOs had switched off Teja News and Aditya (a music channel) on 25 May, accusing some Sun officials of making threatening calls in an effort to take 51 per cent share without making any payments. The MSOs, who formed an association on 18 May at Hyderabad, also protested against Sun’s demand to increase connectivity for its pay channel Gemini.
“The issue has been resolved. Sun officials confirmed that they were not interested in acquiring 51 per cent stake in the MSOs,” said P Sai Babu, a convening committee member of the association. He also heads Siticable in Andhra Pradesh.
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.
