Cable TV

The LMO-MSO relationship will get clarified within six months: Sameer Manchanda

Published

12 years ago

January 31, 2014

NEW DELHI: Digitisation has given an opportunity for cable to compete with direct-to-home (DTH). There was a time when digital meant DTH and cable was largely analogue. But now, there is competition between digital and digital. While world over, cable is supposed to provide premium products, here in India, DTH was and is considered as a premium product. Digitisation has given cable an opportunity to show its might to DTH, compete with it, and provide customers television without interruption and with broadband internet and Value Added Services (VAS).

We are in a highly competitive work environment. For smaller players to emerge, they will need scale, pure execution and vision of where they want to see themselves. They should be thinking big and along with that, should have the patience to wait for at least 5-10 years. There will be hiccups and ups and downs, but as long as they manage and maintain the course, they will achieve their goal. Cable has a unique proposition. It has scale, is a mass product, has mass appeal, is bigger than DTH, and every home has been watching cable since 1991. So just believe in the vision.

Cable is a technology; we just have to leap frog from analogue to a complete different pipe, and that will happen in the next 5-10 years. As we saw in the case of mobile, even cable will go the same way as the world has gone.

I know that there is a lot of pain, and in the beginning years, we have all faced it and will probably face it for a little longer too. But in the next 10 years, everyone will benefit. And every stakeholder, be it small Multi System Operators (MSOs), Last Mile Owners (LMO) or national MSOs, each one will gain. The industry can only be as vibrant and strong as each of its players. So, one player cannot remain vibrant while the other isn’t. The whole industry has to be vibrant and so, we all have to take a step forward in unifying the cable industry and making it vibrant.

The LMOs and MSOs have to think that they are partners. Right now, there is a turf war of economics. But it will wear off once they realise that the customer will go wherever he/she wants to. He will go to DTH or the IPTV platform or 4G or any other platform where he/she gets better service. So, the LMOs and MSOs have to understand that they have to be together.

If you see, the MSOs are ploughing in a lot of investment; they are dealing with broadcasters and are taking risks. They are also the ones who are making the pipe much stronger, so if you look at that, there is a role that the MSO plays and then there is a role that the LMO plays.

Today, the turf war is on economics. But in six to nine months, each player will understand the strengths and weaknesses of each party. And if they play to the strengths, the customer will get a better product and then he/she will pay much more than what he/she earlier paid. Because if you see that from 70 channels, they will have 300-400 channels, then there will be VAS and much more. So you will see that the LMOs will be making much more than what they are making today.

The revenue share needs to be sorted and these are things that need discussion. The MSO is also in a tight position. He has to deal with broadcasters and also ensure that the customer management is better than DTH. There are investments that need to be made. So I think that both parties need to understand each other.

The first effect of digitisation has already been felt and that has happened from the customers’ end. The customer today has moved from some 70 channels to 300 channels and all this with no interference. He/she has been given a box for a reasonable sum and in a few minutes, with no wire and antenna, he has started getting the digital experience. This has been the real effect of digitisation, which has unfortunately gone unnoticed. And this was the reason that 21 million homes, which could have chosen DTH, chose digital cable instead. So the effect of digitisation has been felt, but now because of switch offs, the LMO issue, and under investment by some players, the impact is marred. So there will be good and bad times for cable, but then in a couple of years, it will all be sorted.

The entire chain of media will become vibrant. The broadcaster, LMO and MSO will gain. Currently, since everybody is looking at getting the most, there are wars, but this will get resolved in six months, it can’t take longer. I want to see the industry getting stronger, more vibrant. Customers should be so happy with cable that they start moving from other players to cable. We all want cable to be strong and the whole chain to be very vibrant.

I am an optimist. Media has a great future in the next 5-10 years. No one part can say that he will gain while others don’t. All stakeholders will benefit. Even the customers will have the option of close to 1,000 channels. Yes, they will have to pay more for that, but at least, they will have the option to pay for what they want to watch, which was not there earlier. But unfortunately, this will need them to cough up a lot of money. There will be pain, but eventually, every stakeholder will have to think about 5-10 years later.

(The remarks above are a part of the acceptance speech by DEN Networks Chairman & Managing Director Sameer Manchanda during indiantelevision.com’s The First Indian Digital TV Honours held in New Delhi on 28 January 2014)

Related Topics:Den Networks Direct to Home Indian Digital TV Honours LCOs MSOs Sameer Manchanda

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Cable TV

Den Networks Q3 profit steady despite revenue pressure

Published

3 weeks ago

January 19, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.

Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.

Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.

The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.

In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.

Cable TV

Plugging along as Hathway tunes in steady profits this quarter

Published

4 weeks ago

January 17, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: In a quarter where staying connected mattered more than moving fast, Hathway Cable and Datacom kept its signal steady. The cable and broadband major reported a net profit of Rs 21.7 crore for the December 2025 quarter, marking a clear improvement from Rs 13.6 crore a year earlier, even as pressures persisted in parts of its operating portfolio.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, revenue from operations stood largely flat at Rs 536.6 crore, compared with Rs 511.2 crore in the same period last year. Including other income of Rs 21.1 crore, total income rose to Rs 557.7 crore, reflecting incremental gains despite a competitive media and connectivity landscape.

Profitability improved on the back of disciplined cost control and higher contribution from associates. Profit before tax increased to Rs 28.2 crore, up from Rs 19.1 crore in Q3 FY25, aided by Rs 3.9 crore in share of profit from associates and joint ventures. After tax, earnings for the quarter climbed nearly 60 per cent year-on-year.

Over the nine months ended December 31, 2025, Hathway reported a net profit of Rs 71 crore, compared with Rs 57.7 crore in the corresponding period last year. Total income for the nine months came in at Rs 1,677.3 crore, up from Rs 1,599.8 crore, while profit before tax rose to Rs 94.7 crore from Rs 84.2 crore.

A closer look at the segments shows a familiar split story. The cable television business remained under pressure, reporting a segment loss of Rs 11.4 crore for the quarter, though this narrowed sharply from the Rs 16.6 crore loss seen a year ago. In contrast, the broadband business returned to the black, delivering a modest but positive contribution of Rs 4.2 crore, helped by associate income. Dealing in securities continued to be a bright spot, generating Rs 14.7 crore in quarterly profits.

Costs stayed broadly contained. Pay channel costs, the single largest expense, rose to Rs 287.4 crore, while depreciation and amortisation stood at Rs 74 crore. Finance costs remained negligible at Rs 0.2 crore, keeping leverage risks in check.

Hathway’s earnings per share for the quarter improved to Rs 0.12, up from Rs 0.08 a year ago. The company maintained a strong balance sheet, with total assets of Rs 5,302.4 crore and total liabilities of Rs 848.9 crore as of December 31, 2025.

While structural challenges persist in the traditional cable business, the numbers suggest Hathway is slowly recalibrating its mix trimming losses where needed, leaning on associate income, and keeping the broadband engine ticking. For now, the company may not be racing ahead, but it is clearly staying tuned in to profitability.

Cable TV

Signal drop Tejas Networks’ numbers stay patchy in a volatile quarter

Published

1 month ago

January 10, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: In telecom, even the strongest signals face interference and Tejas Networks Limited’s latest numbers show just how noisy the airwaves remain. The Tata Group-backed networking firm reported unaudited standalone revenue of Rs 305.72 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, up sequentially from Rs 261.37 crore in the September quarter, but sharply lower compared with the Rs 2,642.05 crore clocked in the year-ago period. The topline recovery, however, was overshadowed by a pre-tax loss of Rs 303.20 crore, widening from a Rs 473.03 crore loss in the previous quarter, and reversing a Rs 211.06 crore profit reported in the December 2024 quarter.

After tax, the company posted a loss of Rs 196.89 crore for Q3 FY26, compared with a loss of Rs 307.17 crore in Q2 FY26 and a profit of Rs 165.42 crore a year earlier. For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, Tejas Networks reported revenue of Rs 769.02 crore and a loss after tax of Rs 697.97 crore, a sharp swing from a Rs 512.67 crore profit in the corresponding nine-month period last year. The numbers reflect a year marked by execution challenges rather than demand collapse.

Costs remained the dominant spoiler. Total expenses for the December quarter stood at Rs 616.50 crore, driven by elevated material costs, employee expenses and provisioning. The company also flagged several one-offs and adjustments: a Rs 9.85 crore provision linked to the implementation of new labour codes, ₹24.35 crore in warranty provisions, and reversals related to inventory obsolescence. Earlier quarters had already absorbed heavy charges tied to contract manufacturing losses, design changes and write-downs, the hangover from which continues to weigh on profitability.

Tejas reiterated that it operates as a single reportable segment focused on telecom and data networking products and services, offering little insulation from sector-wide volatility. While revenue momentum has stabilised sequentially, the contrast with the previous financial year remains stark. For context, the company closed FY25 with audited standalone revenue of Rs 8,915.73 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 450.66 crore, underscoring how sharply the operating environment has shifted in FY26.

The results were reviewed by the audit committee and approved by the board on January 9, 2026, but they leave investors with a familiar question: when does recovery turn structural rather than episodic? For now, Tejas Networks appears to be in reset mode, balancing execution clean-up with cost discipline. In a sector where margins can be as fragile as fibre strands, the next few quarters will matter as much as the signals the company sends to the market.