Cable TV
SitiCable to launch interactive channel
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms’ cable arm SitiCable is planning to launch a 24-hour interactive entertainment channel aimed at family audiences, The Asian Age has reported. Siti has already sought clearance from the information and broadcasting ministry for the project.
The channel, which will be free to air and city specific, has broadly been modelled on the lines of the popular NY1 in New York,which is Time Warner Cable’s exclusive local news channel having live 1-minute news updates every half hour and special shows focussing on local business, politics etc.
SitiCable will leverage on its strength of having its own teleport in Noida thus enabling it to do live interactive programming like FM radio through satellite uplinking.
The programming will consist of live entertainment shows and events, infotainment shows, music on demand,popular serials from Zee library,also interactive film entertainment which the channel claims is a new concept.
In order to make the channel viewer friendly, SitiCable is also planning to run all kinds of helpline services besides doing phone-in programmes, where viewers will be able to highlight their civic problems and concerned authorities will redress their grievances online.
SitiCable has also set up a first ever non-news 24 hour live studio in Delhi. More such studios will come up in other major cities to do city specific programming.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
