I&B Ministry
I&B ministry to evolve model cinema regulations
NEW DELHI:The ministry of information & broadcasting will take steps to evolve Model Cinema Regulations, which could be adopted by the States. A delegation of the Multiplexes Association of India met the I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad here today and pointed out that the regulatory provisions in different States suffer from multiplicity, oblivity, subjectivity and archaic applications.
The delegation requested that the model cinema regulations framed in consultation with the industry should be applicable uniformally across the States. Prasad appreciated the need for uniform regulations and asked the FICCI to prepare a draft of Model Cinema Regulations, which could be circulated among all the States to elicit their views on it. He said, the ministry would then call a meeting of the States to discuss and finalize the Regulations, which may be adopted by the States.
Dr. Amit Mitra of FICCI, who led the delegation, said that Cinema Regulations of States, often conflict with development control regulations of cities, though both cover the same issues. They also do not recognise companies as applicants and licences are issued to individuals and are not transferable. He said that the location NOC procedure and criteria in many States is discretionary, construction permission is required from licensing authorities, cinemas are presumed to be stand-alone buildings and seat layouts aisle restrictions, screen distance, ventilations requirements, projection room, stair-case, electrical restrictions may be scrapped for safety reasons.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati sets EPG standards for DD Free Dish platform
New specs define 7-day guide, LCN mapping, and device compatibility.
MUMBAI: Your TV guide just got a backstage pass structured, scheduled, and far more in sync. Prasar Bharati has released detailed technical specifications for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) services on DD Free Dish, laying down a standardised framework for how channels and programme information are organised and delivered. At the core of the update is a defined EPG data structure, covering genre-based categorisation, scheduling formats, and Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). The aim is simple: make navigation less guesswork and more guided experience across the platform’s over 40 million households.
The specifications also introduce a seven-day programme guide window for each channel, alongside clear rules for channel grouping and LCN mapping effectively deciding not just what you watch, but how easily you find it.
On the technical front, the document outlines requirements for Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI), including descriptor usage across tables such as PAT, BAT and NIT. It further details service lists and network linkage parameters, giving OEMs and developers a clearer blueprint for integration.
Importantly, the framework is designed to work seamlessly with television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners, enabling users to access DD Free Dish directly without additional hardware, an incremental but meaningful step towards simplifying access.
The platform will continue to operate on GSAT-15 transponders, using MPEG-4 compression and DVB-S2 transmission standards, ensuring continuity even as the interface evolves.
While largely technical, the move signals a broader push towards standardisation and user-friendly discovery in India’s free-to-air ecosystem because sometimes, the real upgrade isn’t what’s on screen, but how easily you get there.
