Cable TV
Nick US’ Dora takes a trip down memory lane
MUMBAI: Nick US has announced that on its show Dora The Explorer, preschoolers will join Dora on her first adventure ever and discover how she met her best friend Boots on
a new episode called Dora’s First Trip.
The special flashback episode will premiere on 7 April. On Dora’s First Trip, at the dinner table, Dora tells her parents, grandma and her cousins Diego and Daisy the story of her very first adventure through the forest. Without the help of her trusty backpack, Dora embarks on her earliest trip with a simple messenger bag — her first explorer kit from her parents. She travels through the Nutty Forest and across the Rio Grande to return the Fiesta Trio’s lost instruments so they can play for the cranky Queen Bee.
Along the way, Dora meets her sidekick Boots and they soon befriend Tico, Isa and Benny. Dora continues her journey with her new pals, and they travel together by car, boat and airplane until they finally return the instruments to the musical trio. Before long, they learn that they must watch out for that sneaky fox, Swiper.
On 11 April, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment will release a DVD and VHS Dora’s First Trip, which will feature the title episode in addition to three other Dora the Explorer adventures. The DVD will also feature a music video, Best Friends.
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.
