DTH
BBC in content deal with Chinese portal
MUMBAI: Users of Chinese web portal QQ.com can now learn English directly from the site thanks to a partnership deal with BBC World Service. It is the first Chinese portal to enter content partnership with the BBC.
From today 14 February 2007, users of the portal will be able to access BBC Learning English content specially tailored for Chinese speakers.
BBC Learning English teaches reading, listening and comprehension. It explains various points of the English language through human interest stories and topics including UK lifestyle and culture.
The BBC will start English teaching on QQ.com with two popular features, Take Away English and Quizzes. Take Away English the BBC says has been a hit with Chinese users as it offers MP3 audio and pdf text downloads, so the learner can quite literally take away the BBC’s English lessons.
Topics range from the latest Harry Potter book and online gaming to Chinese football players, and include listening, reading, exercises and an audio glossary. Quizzes offers learners an interactive test of their English vocabulary and grammar and helps them with teacher feedback.
Looking ahead at what BBC Learning English has in store for Chinese online users, Alison Konieczny, who is the editor of BBC English Language Teaching China team said, “We are planning to treat Chinese learners to two more features which will enrich their English vocabulary in fun and entertaining ways. Real English teaches words and phrases learners won’t necessarily find in their dictionaries, and Word Master is an interactive game which tests and teaches vocabulary common in English proficiency exams.”
“I can’t think of a better day to launch our partnership with QQ.com than 14 February, which of course is Valentine’s Day. It’s a memorable day for a lot of people, and I hope Chinese learners will fall in love with our BBC pages and make us a regular date!”
BBC World Service’s Business Development Manager for China and North Asia, Raymond Li said, “We are delighted to partner with one of the leading national portal sites in China to provide quality English learning content to many learners in China. Internet has become an increasingly popular and effective learning platform among young people, and the BBC has been building up successful partnership with China’s local portal sites over last few years. Our new partnership deal with QQ.com will help us reach more online learners in China, therefore bringing more benefit to them, too.”
BBC Learning English offers English language teaching programmes and online content for a global radio and online audience.
English learning materials are available online at bblearningenglish.com and, for Chinese speakers, on bbcchina.com.cn.
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.
