Cable TV
Turner Broadcasting restructures Asia Pacific operations
As part of its expansion of programming and new media initiatives,Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. (TBS) is restructuring its regional advertising sales operations.
This new move involves creating separate sales forces for the entertainment and news divisions to build on the strength of its international brands – CNN, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies – across multiple platforms.
Jennifer Fletcher has been promoted to senior vice-president, advertising sales for Turner Entertainment Networks Asia Inc. (TENA). Reporting to Dave Dickman, who relocated to London in January, and Steve Marcopoto, President and Managing Director of TBS, Fletcher will look after advertising sales for Cartoon Network, TCM, HBO South Asia and the company’s new CETV venture in China. Fletcher was previously vice-president for TBS advertising sales.
Mark Whitehead, Vice President, News Network, Asia Pacific is relocating from Singapore to Hong Kong and expands his responsibilities to manage CNN’s sales operations in Hong Kong, South East Asia and Korea.
Monty Ghai takes on the new role of Director, Global Client Solutions, Asia Pacific. As TBS’s first Director for Global Client Solutions in Asia, Ghai will be responsible for working with advertisers to build marketing partnerships which leverage the corporate capabilities of Turner and other Time Warner properties to build new revenue streams.
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.
