Cable TV
MTV Networks Asia & Motorola to launch digital entertainment platform ‘Mobbed’
MUMBAI: MTV Networks Asia in collaboration with Motorola, a company involved in wireless and broadband communications, is set to launch a digital entertainment platform ‘Mobbed’.
Targeting the youth, `Mobbed’ will be available on mobile, on-air and online from tomorrow (1 April). The entertainment platform will be available to Asia-Pacific youths spanning across seven countries – India, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
At a recent Ficci Frames in Mumbai, Viacom CEO Tom Freston said the company would be ramping up its digital media initiatives.
Mobbed is the first-ever digitally focused integrated platform MTV Networks Asia has embarked on, the company said in a release. It will feature everything from free downloads to opportunities to control the storylines of ongoing animated segments.
The various mobbed icons features include Motoalert, Mob Squad, Mobtage, besides contest, games and blogs.
Mobbed, the on-air show, will be fronted by local MTV VJs. In India, MTV VJ Nauheed will be fronting the show.
In Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines, MTV VJ Max, a new member of the MTV VJ family, will host the programme .MTV VJ Nathan (Australia), MTV VJ Cathy (Indonesia) and MTV VJ Tye (Thailand) will provide audience with the latest Mobbed updates weekly on the respective channels.
Motoalert will not only provide Mobbers with the latest news, gossips, downloads and activities, but also focus on a new artist each month, allowing the Mobbers with “full-access” and knowledge of this act.
“Mobbed reinforces MTV’s commitment to connect with our audience on every platform possible. Not only do we create fun and cool branded content that can be downloaded easily at the click of a button, such as the Mob Squad mobile animated series, but we also allow for user-generated content so youth can express themselves and take over MTV via the cutting-edge MMS to TV platform – Mobtage,” commented MTV Networks Asia Pacific president Nigel Robbins. “This expanded development is testimony to the success we have enjoyed with Motorola. With Motorola’s technology and personalization intelligence and MTV’s widespread influence on youth, Mobbed will empower Asian youth to further interact in the wireless world.”
We are extremely excited about the Mobbed property and our relationship with MTV Networks Asia. MTV helps Motorola to re-energize our brand image and gain greater resonance with our youth mobile users,” commented Neil Stewart, Marketing Director of Motorola Mobile Devices Business, High Growth Markets. “With the launch of Mobbed by MTV and Motorola, we will be providing an even more creative and innovative platform for youth to get branded entertainment via their mobile screens,” he added.
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.
