I&B Ministry
New portal to help ease of broadcast business
NEW DELHI: A new online ‘broadcastseva’ portal has been launched by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) as part of its initiative to provide a single point facility to various broadcast-related stakeholders and applicants for various permissions, registrations, licences, etc
The portal broadcastseva.gov.in is in keeping with the commitment to promoting ease of doing Business, Digital India and Make in India.
The Government said the MIB was committed to provide efficient and transparent regime for the growth and management of the Broadcast sector.
Accordingly, the following four modules have become Live on the portal:
i) Payment of Annual Permission Fees for TV Channels/teleports
ii) Application for Temporary uplink of Live Events
iii) Application for setting up of Community Radio Stations
iv) Application for registration as Multi-System Operators
The Ministry has invited suggestions for better utilization and improvement of the portal.
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.
