Cable TV
National and local MSOs meet in Kolkata to discuss billing process
KOLKATA: The multi system operators (MSOs) seem to be in full swing to bring the gross billing system in place. This time, to discuss the smooth rollout of gross billing in the Kolkata Municipal Area (KMA), the national representatives of MSOs that included SitiCable Network and Den Networks, along with the local players like Manthan and AMBC among few others met and signed a deal to expedite the process.
Kolkata has 30 lakh cable homes and most of them still get ad hoc bills from the MSOs. Thus, to implement the gross (consumer) billing for January, and bring transparency in the entire process, the MSOs have requested cable TV subscribers to ask for bills from the local cable operators (LCOs) before paying the monthly subscription charges.
In fact, in order to ensure that the gross billing process is smooth in the KMA area, the MSOs from national and eastern regions meet regularly, especially after West Bengal and the central government authorities have asked them to speed up the process.
“Today’s meeting was on the smooth rollout of the billing. Customers should ask for a bill from the LCOs before paying their bills every month,” said AMBC managing director Sujit Das.
Siticable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia also brought to notice that the MSOs have conducted a check on the overall implementation of digital addressable system (DAS) including the billing and collection process.
According to the regulations set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), subscribers will get 15 days from the date of the bill to make the payment. “In case the subscriber fails to make the payment till the due date, we may charge interest on the outstanding amount,” said Sethia, also adding that in the recent meeting the MSOs have decided to be firm on these agendas.
The seriousness of the MSOs is evident as most of them have uploaded the bills on the server, and some have even given the print outs to the LCOs so that bill collection can be done, remarked a city based analyst.
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.
