I&B Ministry
DD Free Dish auction: Prasar Bharati earns over Rs 190 crore on Day 2
Mumbai: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has earned over Rs 191 crore on Day 2 of the fifth annual 67th e-auction for vacant MPEG-2 slots on DD FreeDish.
According to the sources, 11 channels secured slots on the second day; six in the Bucket A+ category (Hindi GEC) and five in Bucket A category (movie channels). The reserve prices for Bucket A + and Bucket A were Rs 15 crore and Rs 12 crore, respectively.
As already reported, The Q, Dangal, Shemaroo TV, Manoranjan Grand, Manoranjan TV and Big Magic bagged slots in the Hindi GEC category. The highest bid in the category was placed at Rs 17.9 crore. Prasar Bharati is believed to have collected more than Rs 100 crore from this category. There were six slots in this category.
In the Bucket A category, the public broadcaster has earned more than Rs 85 crore. Star Utsav Movies, B4U Kadak, B4U Movies, It’s Colors Rishtey Cineplex Superhit and Dhamaka Movies B4U have secured the slots in this category. The highest bid for this category was Rs 17.5 crore. The category had six slots. Bidding for this slot will take place on Wednesday.
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.
