Cable TV
SitiCable to host get-together for LMOs, broadcasters
KOLKATA: SitiCable Network is all set to welcome the New Year on a positive note and how? The national multi-system operator (MSO) is hosting its yearly get-together with around 14,000 last mile operators (LMOs) along with their families and the broadcasters attending it. The get-together which is scheduled for 4 January 2014 is a platform for the MSO to discuss its ambitious expansion plans in the eastern region as well as share their achievements.
“This get-together is very important for us. It is here that we will talk about the cable TV industry and also announce our achievements, particularly, in the eastern region,” informed SitiCable Kolkata director Suresh Sethia.
The MSO claims to have seeded around 1.7 million set top boxes (STBs) in the eastern region. “With the cable TV digitisation being in full swing, across the eastern region, we plan to install another 1.5 million STBs by December 2014,” added Sethia.
This is not all. The MSO is also focusing on creating and acquiring content for approximately eight server based television channels. “We are looking at acquiring content in the eastern region. This meeting will help us talk to both the broadcasters and the LMOs directly,” he said.
The MSO, who is currently planning at acquiring content for server based channels in Kolkata, will also look at tapping into the market in Patna and Guwahati.
A cable TV analyst said, “The MSO has number of plans already under consideration and before complete digitisation, it is the best opportunity for it to address all the opportunities and the issues so that it can achieve its target.”
The eastern region accounts for around 40 per cent of the revenue to SitiCable. “It is one of the most important markets for the company,” added the cable TV analyst.
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.
