DTH
Doordarshan’s DTH plan to cost Rs 6,380 million
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today told policy makers that pubcaster Doordarshan was opting for a KU-band DTH scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 6,380 million as terrestrial expansion to cover the whole population would have been much more costly, something that was first reported by indiantelevision.com some days back.
India’s pubcaster Doordarshan is setting up a KU Band transmission project at a cost of Rs 6,380 million to cover the remaining 10 per cent of population, which at present is unable to get DD transmission due to the lack of reach of the terrestrial system.
To begin with, the project would have 20 channels uplinked from Delhi. In a years time this is likely to be extended to 60 channels. All the channels would be free to air, according to Prasad, who was briefing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry about the latest developments in the media.
According to Prasad 200,000 homes in rural, remote, inaccessible mountaineous regions and border areas would be covered by DD by providing cable head ends and set top boxes. He said, the KU band transmission will be the most cost effective option for extending coverage to the uncovered areas.
As compared to Rs 6,380 million on KU band project, the coverage through the terrestrial method would have required capital investment of Rs 34,560 million and recurring expenditure of Rs 5,190 million annually. Doordarshan is hiring 4 satellite transponders for the purpose, he said.
Prasad informed members that apart from the KU band extension, DD is extending coverage to 160 uncovered villages in the eight states of the North-East by establishing cable head ends. The headends are set up by Doordarshan to downlink the TV signals in the village. The cabling from headends to the households is also done by DD.
While DD bears the entire cost, the system is handed over to the local panchayats for its day-to-day running and maintenance with the technical assistance from DD staff. Prasad said the system has been operationalized in 44 villages and the work is nearing completion in another 43 villages. The target is to cover 16,000 households at a cost of Rs 7,150 million.
Those who attended the parliamentray panel meet included Balram Singh Yadav, Abdul Rashid Shaheen, Gandhi Azad, Balkavi Bairagi, Vijay J Darda, Kartar Singh Duggal, Ajay Maroo, Lalhmingliana, Dr Ramanaidu Daggubati and Shabana Azmi.
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.
