DTH
DTV coalition calls for lawmakers to be sensitive to consumer concerns
MUMBAI: Americans deserve more — they deserve to be told the facts about the digital television transition, what it is and what it means for them.
Keeping this in mind the American organisation The Coalition for a Smart Digital TV Transition has called on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
The aim was to address consumer concerns that are currently missing from the “Staff Draft” of the DTV Transition Bill.
The DTV coalition has stressed the importance of consumers relying on over-the-air reception of
broadcast television, together with the 73 million owners of analogue television sets not being disenfranchised by the transition to a digital era.
Coalition members from different sectors like consumer, minority, labour, and communications
and agricultural groups, are concerned about three critical elements that are currently missing from the proposed/draft digital television plan.
The Coalition has outlined its three primary changes to the proposed legislation.
1. The legislation must include a provision to compensate low-income Americans for the cost of set-top converter boxes.
2. The legislation should authourise multicast must-carry.
3. The legislation needs to ensure that cable systems provide subscribers with traditional, analogue televisions with the signal from all local boadcasters, while also providing the full, HDTV signal to those subscribers who have invested in a digital television set.
The DTV coalition states that while the proposed plan to convert from analogue to digital is a good first step, it does not fully address
the needs of Hispanic and other minority consumers, who will need special assistance with the transition. The coalition says that it will continue working with the House and Senate to ensure the final plan addresses these issues.
Meanwhile America’s farmers and other rural consumers are pleased that Congress has pushed back the digital television transition date to 31 December 2008. However they say that it is vital that the legislation mitigate the economic impact to rural residents who will be required to purchase expensive equipment to receive programming via free over-the-air, cable or satellite broadcasting.
In sparsely populated areas with little or no access to traditional cable or satellite systems, there will be disproportionate impact to rural residents — often on a fixed- income — and to rural schools, libraries, hospitals and nursing homes.
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.
