Cable TV
Sun, Adlabs surrender frequencies, commonality on 4 stations
MUMBAI: The Sun TV network-backed South Asia FM and Anil Ambani-controlled Adlabs Films Ltd have surrendered 27 and 12 FM radio frequencies respectively to adhere to a government mandated national cap of 15 per cent per bidding company.
Adlabs surrendered worth Rs 124.55 million for 12 frequencies, while South Asia FM handed over worth Rs 79.82 million for 27 stations.
Interestingly, there is commonality in some frequencies that the two companies have surrendered and these include Imphal, Gorakhpur, Itanagar and Muzzaffarpur. South Asia FM had won about 15 stations in the east region, of which they have surrendered six. Adlabs had bagged 15 stations in the region and has given up eight.
Another point of note is that South Asia FM was the only radio company that bagged the ‘Sagar’ frequency and has surrendered the same.
The other stations that South Asia FM has given up include Agartala, Ahmednagar, Ajmer, Akola, Aligarh, Bikaner, Bilaspur, Daman, Dhule, Gorakhpur, Gwalior, Imphal, Itanagar, Jalgaon, Jhansi, Kohima, Kota, Muzzaffarpur, Nanded, Port Blair, Rourkela, Sagar, Sangli, Sholapur, Surat and Udaipur.
Adlabs Films has surrendered the 12 frequencies in Aizawl, Bilaspur, Kochi, Gangtok, Gorakhpur, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Muzzaffarpur, Port Blair, Shillong and Tirunelveli.
During the second phase of FM radio licencing, which concluded early February, on a national level South Asia FM had successfully bid for 52 licences in as many cities, while Adlabs had bagged 57 frequencies.
According to a government mandate, no company can have more than 15 per cent of the total licences put up for sale all over India.
Though the government had put on the block 338 licences in 91 cities, for calculation purposes a benchmark of 300 has been taken. Based on this number South Asia FM and Adlabs have surrendered their excess baggage. Besides the new stations that would come up now, there are already 21 private FM radio stations operating in the bigger cities of India.
The government will hold another round of bidding for the unsold and surrendered licences. According to the rules, every permission under the Phase II policy is to be valid for a period for ten years from the date of operationalisation of the channel. There is no provision for its extension and the permission is to automatically lapse at the end of the period. The government at the appropriate time will determine the procedure for issue of fresh permissions.
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.
