Cable TV
TV Today Network to launch NCR centric news channel –Delhi Aaj Tak
MUMBAI: Lack of adequate bandwidth with cable networks be damned. And, notwithstanding the lingering uncertainty over CAS despite a favourable court ruling, TV companies are gung-ho over introduction of new products.
The Aroon Purie-promoted TV Today Network Ltd is poised to launch a 24-hour news channel catering to the national capital region (NCR) of Delhi, which will be the fourth from its stable.
According to cable industry sources, the boxes have to be seeded before a formal launch. The new product is likely to be called Delhi Aaj Tak, trying to cash in on the brand equity of elder sibling and Hindi news market leader Aaj Tak.
The tag line for the new channel would be Delhi Aaj Tak: aapka sehar, aap tak (Delhi Aaj Tak: your city, up close). Sources said that the proposed Delhi-centric Hindi language news channel is looking at going on air in the second quarter of calendar year 2006 (April-June).
According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the team which will oversee the news channel is already in place. The proposed channel will beam via Insat 2E. The existing news channels from the TV Today stable like Aaj Tak, Headlines Today and Tez beam off the same satellite.
The Delhi-NCR region already has a host of news channels with which Delhi Aaj Tak has to compete. Existing players in this segment include the Sahara NCR, S1 and Total TV. NDTV is also planning a new product to service the metros cities, including Delhi.
However, ahead of the launch of the new product, TV Today has once again become a poaching ground for competitors. Recently, Aaj Tak’s senior anchor and deputy-executive producer Ashutosh had put in his papers to join as the managing editor of Channel7 (to be renamed IBN7), which is part of the TV18 network. It is being said that some other senior TV Today staffers are also likely to quit with new products luring them.
The TV Today scrip, which opened today at Rs 88.60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) had touched a high of Rs 92.85.
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.
