Cable TV
Sony lines up afternoon fare; horror show to replace Jassi
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India is now looking at strengthening its afternoon band, which so far aired repeats of prime time shows. Starting 15 May, two new shows will be launched between 1 and 2 pm in the ‘Nayi Dopahar’ band.
Kabhie To Nazar Milao from the UTV stable will air from Monday to Thursday at 1 pm, whereas Rishton Di Dorr produced by Sri Adhikari Brothers will air at 1:30 pm. The afternoon band will, however, continue to telecast repeats of prime time shows from 12 to 1 pm (Ek Ladki Anjaani Si and Kaisa Ye Pyaar Hai) and from 2 to 3 pm (Thodi Khushi Thoda Gham and Aisa Desh Hai Mera).
“The idea was to consolidate the all day GRPs of the channels and hence we have introduced fresh programming in the ‘Nayi Dophar’ band, which will help us achieve that,” says SET India COO NP Singh.
Meanwhile, in the prime time slot, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, which finally comes to an end tomorrow (4 May) will be replaced by a horror show Khaufnaak. This one hour show produced by Sri Adhikari Brothers will air from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm.
“Khaufnaak will be a seasonal show, which will end in a month or so. We will introduce new one hour weeklies in the 10 to 11 pm band in June. That will culminate our initiative of providing new and fresh programming for our viewers,” says Singh.
In early March, Sony had introduced a fresh new Friday band with Deal Ya No Deal, Fear Factor, a revamped CID and Kandy Floss under the ‘Shukra Hai Shukravaar Hai’ band. On 24 March, the channel yet again launched two new shows in the 9 to10 pm band – Aisa Desh Hai Mera and Thodi Khushi Thoda Gham.
Now, the new weeklies in the 10 to 11 pm band in June will be the shows to watch out for
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.
