News Broadcasting
DD to introduce DTT service in the four main metros
In a move aimed at demonstrating the government’s commitment to make all pay channels mandatorily routed through a conditional access system, national broadcaster Doordarshan is all set to launch its Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) service in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata from June.
To access the service a subscriber needs a decoder (set-top-box) which costs about Rs 3,500 and an antenna for Rs 150, according to a report in a leading national daily. The report states that there will be no monthly subscription charge for the service.
DTT will beam 12 channels, five of which will be DD National, DD Metro, DD Bharati, DD Sports and DD India (earlier known as DD World but a name change has taken place effective 13 April). DD plans to generate revenue by leasing the remaining transmitters to private broadcasters to beam the remaining seven channels.
The report quotes DD officials as saying that private broadcasters will be roped in before the year is through. They said that the national broadcaster is in negotiations with niche and city-centric broadcasters.
DD director-general SY Quraishi has been quoted as saying that the aim was to provide a full-fledged bouquet that covers DD’s role as a public broadcaster and a complete entertainment-cum-educational network.
Quaraishi says he expects the price of the set-top-box to come down to as low as Rs 1,000 once its penetration increases in the market. Senior DD officials said that Consumer Electronic and Television Manufacturer’s Association (Cetma) officials have expressed interest in bundling the decoder with new television sets that are to be manufactured in the coming months.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
