DTH
Dish TV Board responds to Yes Bank’s notice, says EGM cannot be called
New Delhi: In the latest turn of events, Dish TV has turned down Yes Bank’s call for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), stating that the meeting cannot be called, as it will be in violation of the extant laws.
The decision was taken in a Board meeting of the Company held on Wednesday, wherein the members reviewed the requisition notice sent by Yes Bank on 21 September. The Bank which holds a 25.63 per cent stake in Dish TV India Ltd had demanded an EGM to be convened, to oust the current directors and managing director Jawahar Lal Goel from the Company.
On Wednesday, the Board said that it considered the factual background, as also the legal advice and the opinions received from various legal experts.
According to the Board, Yes Bank Ltd is a Banking Company and YBL’s shareholding in the Company is a consequence of the invocation of pledges. “Therefore, there are certain embargos under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 read with Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011, because of which the said resolutions cannot be placed before the shareholders,” the Board stated.
It further highlighted that resolutions proposed to be placed before the shareholders of the Company as sought by YBL require certain prior steps to be undertaken by YBL under the applicable provisions of SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011 and also prior approval to be obtained by YBL under the Competition Act, 2002; and, require prior approval of the ministry of information and broadcasting in respect of national security clearance as well as that of Company’s Lenders.
“Accordingly, in view of the above and considering (a) its fiduciary duties and (b) that the Board shall be in violation of extant laws if it acts upon the Notice, the Board unanimously agreed that the EGM cannot be called,” it informed the stock exchange on Wednesday.
Yes Bank had initially sent a notice to Dish TV on 6 September calling for a resolution for the removal of Rashmi Aggarwal, Shankar Aggarwal, Bhagwan Das Narang, and Ashok Mathai Kurien as directors, along with Jawahar Lal Goel as managing director of the company under Section 169 of the Companies Act, 2013. This would also remove Goel from the post of chairperson of the Company. It also sought the appointment of a new board of directors including Akash Suri, Sanjay Nambiar, Vijay Bhatt, Haripriya Padmanabhan, Girish Paranjape, Narayan Vasudeo Prabhutendulkar, and Arvind Nachaya Mapangada.
The proposal was to be tabled at the annual 33rd general meeting, which was to be held on 27 September. However, Dish TV deferred the meeting citing some regulatory approvals, following which Yes Bank sent a requisition notice calling for an EGM on 21 September.
The Bank had alleged that the current Dish TV Board was “not acting in line with good corporate governance standards and is not a fair representation of the incumbent significant shareholders of the Company which holds about 45 per cent shareholding in the Company.”
DTH
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.
