GECs
Singapore’s StarHub launches ‘PPV’ channel Demand TV
MUMBAI: Movie buffs in Singapore will have a new and convenient option to watch recently released movies in the comfort of their homes whenever they want.
From tomorrow, 28 June 2005, Digital Cable customers of the Singapore-based information and communications company Star Hub can select a movie, a preferred viewing slot and catch the show without stepping out of their living rooms.
As with watching movies in the cinemas, they only pay for what they choose to watch. All these are possible with StarHub Digital Cable’s launch of Demand TV. the company states that this is Singapore’s only Near Video-On-Demand (NVOD) service on television.
Demand TV will offer critically acclaimed independent movies, and Hollywood blockbusters. There will be an average of 10 titles to choose from at any one time, and these will be scheduled over 20 Demand TV channels (StarHub Channels 120 to 139). Each movie will be aired in different timeslots, with intervals ranging from 30 minutes to two hours. One new title will be added to replace an older one at the beginning of each week.
StarHub senior VP, cable TV services Sandie Lee said, “Each customer has unique needs. With that in mind, StarHub has constantly been enhancing our cable TV offerings. Today, we are one of the very few cable operators in the world that offer customers a say in the channels that form their basic tiers. The introduction of Demand TV is further proof of our commitment to give customers flexibility, choice and control.
“With Demand TV, consumers can enjoy a chosen programme at their most convenient time, for a very affordable price. Demand TV further sets apart StarHub Digital Cable from other local service providers, offering yet another dimension to viewing pleasure unmatched by anyone else in Singapore.”
Customers of Demand TV will catch the first-ever airing of the movies on local television, as StarHub will schedule the films as soon as three to six months after their theatrical releases in Singapore. For starters viewers can catch Hollywood titles such as Spiderman 2, Hellboy, 50 First Dates, White Chicks and Secret Window.
They can also look forward to award-winning or critically acclaimed titles from around the world including Les Choristes (France), City Of God (Brazil), The Return (Russian) and Nobody Knows (Japanese). In addition, there will be some movies that are rated 16 or 18 such as Kevin Bacon’s The Woodsman.
Very soon, Demand TV may also screen movies that are not available in local cinemas, or introduce special theme packages such as Bollywood movies and foreign-language films.
“While our present line-up for Demand TV is solely made up of movies, we are not ruling out the addition of content from other genres, such as concerts and mini-series. Our plans for these will depend on the response and desires of our customers” Lee says.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
