Cable TV
Scientific-Atlanta launches software to help Video-on-Demand
Scientific-Atlanta has developed a supercharged version of its Digital Network Control System (DNCS) software.
The software will help cable ops give subscribers Video-on-Demand (VOD) and Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) services on a large scale. Besides removing the headache of poor network capacity, they will be able to add value to services they offer. Expanded VOD/SVOD capacity will help consumers become more receptive to on-demand interactive TV services.
Scientific- Atlanta’ s digital interactive network already delivers interactive TV applications to digital cable subscribers in North America. The company said that the operators who deploy Scientific-Atlanta powered networks have an end-to-end system which can consistently be upgraded. But the operators who don’t have a scalable, digital interactive network system behind the set-tops they deploy cannot offer VOD and SVOD on a large scale.
Scientific-Atlanta’s DNCS software takes care of the complex network traffic which is necessary for the smooth delivery of high bandwidth, interactive digital video and data services to subscribers. DNCS performs functions like set-top provisioning, session management, network flow control and optimising bandwidth. DNCS also coordinates communications between applications servers, set-tops, and other devices on the cable operator’sn etwork.
Time Warner Cable plans to upgrade some of its sites to Scientific-Atlanta’s new network software, which will provide the reliable and scalable platform for their VOD and SVOD rollout. Scientific-Atlanta is also helping Comcast aggressively rollout VOD across two million homes by the end of the year.
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.
