Cable TV
Post-DAS, tardy MSO registrations in six months, 14 new additions
NEW DELHI: Despite the fact that it is more than six months since the country adopted digital addressable system (DAS) for cable television, the number of multi-system operators (MSOs) has risen by meagre 14 over the last two months to reach 1469 as on 30 September 2017.
This total reflects poorly against figures given by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) before the DAS Task Force that there are 6,000 MSOs in India.
The total at the end of July was 1455. In the latest list put on its website on Tuesday, the ministry has noted the cancellation of Live Satellite in Maharashtra. Early this year, the government had said all provisional multi-system operators will be deemed as having regular licence.
Unlike last time, there is no separate list of MSOs who have gone to court like Godfather Communication Pvt Ltd of Punjab judgment in the case of which was expected at September-end or of the Tamil Nadu Arasu TV Corporation which has been given time till this week to prove it has switched off analogue signals. The MSO had claimed to have gone digital on 1 September.
MIB officials had earlier this year told indiantelevision.com that it had been made clear that the provisional licence was subject to the Centre taking a final decision on the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that no government owned body should be permitted in the field of running or distributing television channels. TRAI had in 2008, 2012 and 2014 held that state governments and political parties should not be permitted to own TV channels or distribution channels.
There is a no list of cancelled MSOs or those whose cases have been closed. The figures revealed on 3 August until July-end had given a list of 63 MSOs whose licences were cancelled or cases closed.
Faced with just less than one month to go before total switch-off of analogue signals, the Government had on 6 March 2017 decided to treat all MSOs as permanent but with condition that the period of ten years commences from the date they got registered as provisional MSOs.
However, if the continuation of registration of any MSO is at any time found to be or considered detrimental to the security of the State then the registration so granted is liable to be cancelled/suspended, the order placed on the MIB specified. All other terms and conditions depicted in the provisional registration letters will continue to apply.
Earlier, on 27 January 2017, it had been decided that all registered MSOs are free to operate in any part of the country, irrespective of registration for specified DAS notified areas granted by MIB.
However, they have to submit the details of headend, SMS, subscribers list and a self-certificate that they are carrying all the mandatory TV Channels, within six months from date of issuance of MSO registration, to MIB, failing which the MSO registration is liable to cancelled/suspended.
Hence, all deemed regular registered MSOs also are required to submit the details to the Ministry within six months. The ministry list also contains full details of ownership and date of permission including contact details of the MSOs.
Also read :
Including Arasu, total number of MSOs goes up to 1376, to ensure DAS implementation
37 new MSOs in 45 days takes total to 1421, seven among 59 cases sub-judice
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.
