I&B Ministry
Automatic renewal of TV channels subject to fee and ten-year validity
NEW DELHI: The Government, which had said that payment of annual permission fee sixty days before the due date will by itself be sufficient permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year, has clarified that all the TV channels and Teleports are likely to benefit from this decision provided the validity of 10-year permission is available.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said that broadcasters which hold valid permission for uplinking and/or downlinking will not be required to obtain annual Renewal Permission from the Ministry in conformity with the policy guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels.
He told Parliament that the Ministry had taken initiatives to promote the ease of doing business in view of commitment to the vision of the Government and Prime Minister:
The Government had also done away with the restrictions imposed under clauses 2.1.4 and 3.1.15 of the Uplinking Guidelines dated 5 December 2011 and clause 1.10 of the Downlinking Guidelines dated 5 December 2011 regarding appointment at top management position with minimum 3 years of prior experience in a media company (media companies) operating News/Non-News and Current Affairs TV Channels. .
It has also been decided that in view of the exemption mentioned in Master Circular of RBI dated 1 July 2014, regarding the Exchange Earner’s Foreign Currency (EEFC) account holders, the broadcasters and Teleport Operators who have EEFC account, may now make payment in foreign exchange towards availing transponder services on foreign satellite for uplinking of TV channels/Teleports/DSNG Vans, to the Satellite service providers without approval of the Ministry.
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.
