I&B Ministry
Action taken in 75 complaints of violations by TV channels in last three years, Govt not considering independent mechanism
NEW DELHI: The Government has reiterated that there is no proposal under consideration of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for an independent broadcasting media authority/separate mechanism in the country for complaints relating to media
I and B Minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament that the adequate provisions in the form of various Acts / Rules / Regulations/ Guidelines already exist with regard to print and electronic Media.
He also referred to the Inter-Ministerial Committee for TV channels, self-regulatory bodies Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) headed by retired Judge Mukul Mudgal for general entertainment channels, the News Broadcasting Standards Authority for news television channels, the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), and the Press Council of India for print media.
The BCCC took action in a total of 5036 cases between 2013 and 2015, while the NBSA took action in 1464 complaints between 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Thus BCCC had 2298 complaints in 2015, 1791 in 2014 and 947 in 2014. The NBSA -had 110 complaints in 2014-15, 1143 in 2013-14, and 216 in 2012-13
Action was taken in 75 complaints relating to violation of Programme or Advertising Codes for Television channels, while the Press council of India heard 521 complaints between 2012-13 and 2015-16.
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.
