Cable TV
Telangana state government sets up committees to track the television sector
MUMBAI: This is one state which is taking the central government’s order to keep a check on the content being aired satellite TV channels following the hue and cry which was raised after the Peace TV controversy. We are referring to the Telangana state government.
Yesterday it constituted the State and District level monitoring committees whose job will be to ensure effective implementation of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act.
The committees are expected to meet at least once a year and submit a detailed annual report for Telangan, including district-wise data of cable operators registered within the state and estimated number of TV homes/viewers, to the I&B ministry before 31 December 31 annually. Their job would also be to recommend action and forwarding complaints against satellite television channels that are violating the government’s orders on the programme and advertising codes to the I&B ministry, to ensure that respect, dignity and self-esteem of children and women and other sections of society are duly protected, to see whether the authorised officers are effectively performing their duties, to see how many cases are handled by them and what decisions are arrived at, to give suggestion/ guidance to district/ local level committee, to take decision on the matters referred to it by district/ local level committee, to collect data/ information from district/ local level committee and forward it to I&B secretary.
On the state level committee would be the following: the principal secretaries of revenue and home, secretary and commissioner of I&PR department, Doordarshan Kendra Hyderabad director and commercial taxes commissioner.
The district level committee would have the following members: district collector, superintendent of police, commercial taxes deputy commissioner or his representative and the district public relations officer.
Observers believe that the setting up of the committees is a step in the right direction, but the state would have done well to have other representatives from society and the private sector to give a more holistic perspective.
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.
