I&B Ministry
Pricing major concern for consumers: NFO survey
NEW DELHI: How does the consumer perceive the conditional access regime? Is he ready for CAS? Questions, notwithstanding – the crux of the I&B Ministry-NFO Survey – monthly CAS payout is the over-riding concern for consumers.
Costs for the set-top-box and having to shell out separately for each channel – emerged ‘worrisome’ issues for many – at least in Kolkata and Delhi and to some extent in Mumbai. Chennai seemed least rattled.
It is likely that most in Chennai would switch-over to CAS as soon as implemented, the other three metros seemed a mixed lot. An equal number would convert to CAS, while others mentioned waiting one to maximum three months- before making the switch-over. Majority find CAS acceptable in principle, but would like to know more about it.
Interestingly, across metros most consumers would prefer purchasing a set-top-box as opposed to hiring one. The unanimous view across metros is that STB should be priced below Rs 2,000 or if at a monthly rental for an austere Rs 50 per month.
Regarding advantages of CAS – consumers were buoyant with the thought of paying only for channels they would like to watch-some terming it as “the right to choose” and the “freedom to choose” -manifested as transfer of power from the cable-operators hands to the consumer.
The survey was conducted across all socio-economic-classifications A, B, C, D and E, essentially among chief-wage-earners and housewives. Fieldwork was conducted in August 2003 and confined to areas ‘earmarked’ for phase 1 roll-out, which means Chennai was completely covered and for other metros restricted to areas as per the CAS notification. Methodology adopted was quantitative using a structured questionnaire with a mix of closed and open-end ones. NFO interviewed a total sample base of 2,000 respondents.
Majority of the households surveyed own single television sets. And close to 30 per cent Kolkata homes own a black and white television set. While most homes could actually receive close to one hundred channels on their TV sets – most actually received only close to 30 channels.
The survey also covered consumers’ view on how much they would like to pay for each channel – across genres. Consumers were also asked if they watched advertisements and if they would pay more if ads were curtailed. Interestingly, while most watched ads – consumers seemed least affected with advts being taken off the air there were not ready to incur any additional monetary load.
I&B Ministry
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
