Cable TV

Cable ops hijack consumer bodies’ press conference

Published

23 years ago

May 24, 2003

NEW DELHI: The CAS conundrum is getting more confounding and murky.
Even as consumer organizations were attempting to put forward their case at a press conference here today as to how conditional access is “anti-consumer”, the proceedings got hijacked by a section of cable operators who entered into a slanging match with the organizers and raised the bogey that the consumer organizations were “acting on behalf of broadcasters.”
Some 50 leading consumer organizations of the country, who today announced that they have come under the umbrella organization Consumer Co-ordination Council (CCC) and would file a public interest litigation if the Indian government does not defer CAS implementation, did not seem to have done their homework properly and dished out half baked truths and facts in an attempt that more looked like putting pressure on the government.
About six consumer organisations’ representatives present at the press conference — the big daddy of them all, H.D. Shourie kept away from the interaction with the journalists — had some three-four points to make. They are the following:
*CAS is anti-consumer
* The implementation of it should be deferred (no time limit given for deferment)
*A regulatory authority should be in place before CAS is rolled out
*Pay channels should not have dual streams of revenue in subscription and advertising and pay channels should not carry ads
While Anand Patwardhan, chairman of the Consumer Guidance Society of India, terming CAS related amendments as a “shabby piece of legislation”, said that the PIL against CAS would be filed on the ground that it curbs an Indian citizen (read the consumer)’s freedom of speech and expression and right to information, CCC director S. Krishnan said, “We will file the PIL before 14 July (the deadline for CAS rollout in four metros) if we have to.”
Patwardhan said that the Sec 4 a(ii) of the amended Cable TV (Network) Regulation Act is the offensive part and gives the government the control to monitor and regulate even the free to air channels that a consumer in a certain area can watch or not. But when it was pointed out that this can be done only when the government thinks there is a national security risk or some other risks, Patwardhan had no answer.
Though Mumbai Grahak Panchayat member Varsha Raut, who is also a member of the task force on CAS, made some valid points that pay channels should not carry ads and that the “government was forcing CAS” on the consumers, did get carried away when she said that in a 30-minute programme, consumers have to suffer 20 minutes of advertising— a fact that, if really true, would make broadcasters like Star and Sony look like fools because they claim to be following the global norm of about 10-12 minutes of commercial time every hour.
Those who were present at today’s press conference included VOICE’s H.K. Awasthi, R.D. Saxena of Consumer Forum, Delhi and Rajan Gandhi of Consumer Unity & Trust Society, amongst others.
According to the consumer activists, the particular piece of legislation on CAS, which has caused many a heartburn, was supposed to give the consumer a choice, but fails to address issues like quality of service or under-declaration by cable operators.
A statement released on the occasion also asks several questions like:
*Why do consumers have to pay for the set top boxes?
* Why has the government failed to address the issue of cable monopolies?
*Why has the government not protected the consumers’ interests by specifying the service quality parameters?
*Who will address the consumer complaints as there is no regulatory provision to offer a redressal mechanism?
There were questions galore at the press conference, more from the cable operators who had barged in, but very few answers. There was more of cable operator bashing (by the consumer activists) than valid facts given. Of course, big daddy Shourie — on whose name the whole press conference was sold to the media –kept away from the heat and dust preferring to communicate through a prepared statement that was distributed amongst journalists.
However, to an important question (why were the consumer organisations sleeping all this six months when CAS was being deliberated upon in the task force to wake up so late?), none of the participants had any convincing answers. Still Raut defended the whole move by saying, “Consumer activists on the task force and she had raised several objections, but the bureaucrats kept ignoring their pleas saying `CAS had to be implemented’.”
Unfortunately, nobody from the government was present to validate the observation.
Meanwhile, the cable ops present openly threatened everybody that if there was any rollback of CAS implementation deadline, the monthly cable subscription fee for an average India would go up to Rs 500 (over $ 10 from the existing average of $ 3.5).
Consumer body urges PILs against govt on CAS
NCTA gives memo on CAS to president, PM and deputy PM

Up Next

Rapa awards to be held on 7 June in Mumbai

Don't Miss

Aaj Tak claims exclusive coverage of major crime stories

Click to comment

Cable TV

Den Networks Q3 profit steady despite revenue pressure

Published

2 months 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

2 months 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

2 months 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.