Cable TV
Star India to settle accounts with RVR Infrastructure, signals reconnected
NEW DELHI: Following a direction of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, Star India has reconnected the signals to RVR Infrastructures Ltd after the MSO paid an amount of Rs five lakh as directed.
Member B B Srivastava was informed on 29 August 2016 that the two parties had already met for one round to reconcile accounts and would be meeting again before the next date of hearing – 5 September.
Earlier in the hearing on 24 August 2016 on the petition by the MSO challenging the disconnection of signals by the broadcaster, the Tribunal was told by RVR counsel Sharath Sampath that two cheques for Rs 2.5 lakh each dated 30 June 2016 had been lying with the broadcaster which had not beenencashed till date. However, Star India counsel Saurabh Shrivastava said this had not been done under instructions from RVR.
According to RVR, the disconnection notice by Star India was for clearance of outstanding ofRs 8,51,635.
The Tribunal noted that the dis.connection notice expired on 12 August 2016 and the signalswere disconnected on 23 August 2016.
Under those circumstances, RVR and Star India had been directed to reconcile the amount andthe MSO had been asked to pay Rs five lakh through RTGS the same day (24 August 2016).
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.
