Cable TV
Ready to formulate news coverage ‘guidelines’, IBF members assure govt.
NEW DELHI: After surrogate advertising and ‘offensive’ music videos on television channels, it’s the turn of news channels to feel the heat from the government.
The Indian Broadcasting Foundation today at a meeting decided that there is a need to formulate some guiding principles for covering news for television channels. In the interim, the news channels would strictly follow the guidelines that have been laid out in the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Act and show some restraint while covering events like terrorist attacks.
The guidelines for the news channels would be formulated as a soon as possible, after a consensus through consultation process with IBF members. After its formulation, the guidelines would be sent to the government.
Today’s IBF meeting, attended by news channel heads of various organisations, were told that the Indian government has requested the IBF to discuss the issue amongst members through a missive sent earlier and that a set of guidelines have to be evolved for news channels.
The government provocation came after defence forces allegedly complained that coverage of some events interfered with their operations. A case that has been repeatedly brought up by the government to highlight this is the attack on the Akshardham temple in the state of Gujarat where terrorists held some devotees captives and the administration to ransom, before being taken out by commandos during a rescue mission that lasted over 12 hours.
In this case the defence forces had complained that live coverage of the rescue mission on television caused inconveniences in carrying out official duties, especially when it involved human lives.
At today’s IBF meeting issues like airing of video that could cause trauma (like the recently assassinated Gujarat politician Hiren Pandya’s bullet-riddled body) were also discussed.
Those who attended the meeting included Star News president Ravina Raj Kohli, her deputy Sanjay Pugalia, Sahara Samay’s Arup Ghosh and TV Today Network’s news director Uday Shankar.
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.
