Cable TV
UTV readies four multi-genre shows on various channels
MUMBAI: UTV has always been known for its multi-genre programming – be it fiction or non-fiction. In the hot summer months of May and June, the production house has lined up four new shows on various channels.
The first one to launch is a drama – Kabhie To Nazar Milao, which will be aired on Sony from 15 May at 1 pm. This show will be a part of the new afternoon band – ‘Nayi Dophar’ – of Sony and revolves around a boy from Mumbai and a girl from Delhi. It will dwell on how destiny brings them together, only to separate them later.
The other show is a science quiz show called Chamatkar, which will be aired on DD on Sundays.” Chamatkar is a science quiz show that will be hosted by a well known anchor, whose name I cannot divulge at the moment. The quiz will be around simple science questions that we come across in our everyday lives. The questions will be as simple as — What happens when two stones are rubbed together?” informs UTV vice president television Monisha Singh.
After dabbling unsuccessfully in the reality genre some years back with the damp squib – Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai anchored by Madhuri Dixit, UTV is now geared up to launch yet another reality show. This time the hunt will be for kids. UTV’s kids’ channel Hungama TV recently roped in John Abraham as its brand ambassador and has also announced the John Aur Kaun talent hunt for kids.
This talent hunt will aspire to search for two kids – one boy and one girl – who will get the opportunity to star in a UTV produced movie starring John. The entire hunt will be televised and will be aired on Hungama TV later this year. UTV’s television division will be handling the production of this series.
“We will have professionals who are experienced in the reality genre working on this show. There will be workshops conducted for kids who qualify; there will be celebrity walk-ins and a whole lot of other features, which will all be televised,” Singh adds.
Yet another show Soni Mahivaal, which is a comedy, will be launched on DD next month. The show will have Varun Badola and Shewta Khawatra playing the lead roles. “Unlike the name, Soni Mahivaal is not a mythological show. It is a comedy that revolves around Mr Mahivaal (Badola) and his wife Soni (Khawatra) and the different comical situations they face in their married life. Their love and their constant fights over mundane things will be the highlight,” says Singh.
Apart from this, UTV’s Shanno Ki Shaadi that airs on Star Plus and was turned from a weekly to a bi-weekly will now be aired three times a week. The show has also been shifted from the 10.30 pm band to the 10 pm band. “We are very happy that Shanno Ki Shaadi will now start airing three times a week. Also, the fact that it has been shifted to the 10 pm slot will work for the show. Ba, Bahu Aur Baby, which used to air at 10 pm, has delivered some great numbers and we hope that our show also benefits from this slot,” concludes Singh.
With these shows in the pipeline, UTV will be adding four to five hours of new programming in a week across channels.
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.
