News Broadcasting
Government looks set to ease up on DTH restrictions
The winds of DTH they are a blowin? Last week indiantelevision.com had reported that news emanating from Delhi indicated that that Star India had applied for a DTH licence through a company called Space TV.
The fact that Star India was indeed thinking of such an initiative was an indicator that the government may be backtracking on its tough stance on controls to DTH broadcast in India, was the surmise. Now, according to a report in a leading business daily, the government is considering just that. The government is reportedly weighing a proposal to remove the entry fee and bank guarantee totalling Rs 500 million as well as scaling down the 10 per cent revenue share agreement in its Ku band direct-to-home (DTH) television policy.
As per the present guidelines, companies applying for a DTH licence are required to pay an entry fee of Rs 100 million and a bank guarantee of Rs 400 million for 10-year licence period.
The report however, indicates that the government still has to ease up on what is seen as the key stumbling block to DTH take-off in India – the 20 per cent foreign direct investment equity cap in Indian DTH ventures. DTH wannabes are hoping that the FDI bar will be raised at least to 49 per cent and there is an easing up on “other anomalies” in the DTH policy announced last year like cross media restrictions.
News Broadcasting
Zee Business corners 74.2 per cent market share on Budget Day, BARC data shows
Channel extends lead as investors tune in for policy decoding and markets
MUMBAI: Zee Business tightened its grip on India’s business news audience on Union Budget Day, commanding a 74.2 per cent market share during peak coverage hours, according to data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
The numbers, tracked between 0800 and 1000 hrs in north India among NCCS ABC males aged 22 and above, underscore the channel’s dominance as investors and traders tuned in for real-time policy decoding and market reaction. The share was calculated across two business news channels.
Industry executives say the spike mirrors an earnings-call-style verdict from viewers: speed, clarity and conviction won the day. Zee Business has retained its leadership beyond Budget Day, topping the charts on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, signalling sustained audience loyalty rather than a one-off surge.
The ratings momentum carried into Budget Samvad 2026, the channel’s flagship post-Budget discussion, broadcast live from the Bombay Stock Exchange. The session was moderated by Zee Business managing editor Anil Singhvi, and featured market veteran Ramesh Damani, among other participants.
Viewers were drawn to wall-to-wall Budget analysis, sharp market calls and plain-English interpretation of policy measures: an approach that continues to differentiate the channel in a crowded news market.
“The 74.2 per cent share reflects viewer trust in timely and credible market insight,” Singhvi said, adding that the post-Budget forum was designed to move beyond headlines and unpack the implications for investors and the broader economy.
