DTH
CareView becomes Dish Network’s private cable operator
MUMBAI: CareView Communications, Inc., an information technology provider to the healthcare industry, executed an agreement with Dish Network, LLC, a Colorado company, to become a Private Cable Operator (PCO). This agreement will enable CareView to provide television network services via Dish Network as part of its full suite of products and services offered through its CareView System.
“Our intention is to include television services via Dish Network to residents in skilled nursing and assisted living centers as a part of our bundled service offering which will provide greater flexibility for the facility and more viewing options for their patients”
As a PCO, CareView will have greater flexibility and less overhead than cable operators or public utility companies and can pass savings along to its customers. This bulk programming will provide a low cost viewing package that can be delivered to each room within assisted living centers, nursing homes and hospitals.
“Our intention is to include television services via Dish Network to residents in skilled nursing and assisted living centers as a part of our bundled service offering which will provide greater flexibility for the facility and more viewing options for their patients,” stated CareView CEO Steven Johnson. “This represents a continuation of our present bundled services philosophy. It offers an additional way for facilities to cut costs and add additional revenue.”
CareView installs its equipment in healthcare facilities at no charge, thereafter generating revenue from subscriptions to its suite of products and services that are priced as a bundled service. As CareView’s tiered pricing structure is based on the volume commitment by each customer, it intends to include television services via Dish Network to skilled nursing and assisted living centers as part of the bundled service offering to allow customers access to the full suite of CareView services.
The Company’s CareView System provides a full complement of clinical and patient monitoring services for a variety of healthcare facilities. It also provides an entertainment suite of services to increase patient satisfaction scores and enhance the overall image of the facility including first-run, on-demand movies, Internet access and the ability to visit with family and friends through video conferencing.
CareView’s mission is to be the leading provider of products and on-demand application services for the healthcare industry by specializing in bedside video monitoring, archiving and patient care documentation systems and patient entertainment services. Through the use of telecommunications technology and the Internet, our products and on-demand services will greatly increase the access to quality medical care and education for both consumers and healthcare professionals.
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.
