DTH
Eutelsat’s Vivanco advocates push for DTH
MUMBAI: “The window of opportunity is getting smaller as new technologies offer alternatives.” That was the warning sounded by Eutelsat’s regional director for Middle East and Asia Jan Grondrup Vivanco regarding the legislative hurdles in the way of DTH broadcast in India.
When DTH comes in channel reach will increase in rural areas which would result in increase in advertising revenue for broadcasters. The cable operator would be able to offer the consumer freedom of choice instead of being tied to a Star or Zee, Vivanco said.
Speaking yesterday at the opening day of the Broadcasting India 2002 symposium, at south Mumbai’s Chavan Centre, Vivanco pointed out that Ku Band was a mature technology in Europe. It makes the industry transparent, he said. And citing the European example, Vivanco said that initial doubts that included interference in the transmission have proved unfounded.
As far as the implementation of Conditional Access System in India was concerned Vivanco was of the view that the open architecture on the set top box was good.
Vivanco spoke of the possibility of DTH coming in through the backdoor if impediments to its rollout continued. Again citing the European experience, he said Open Sky, a broadband delivery solution allowed for one Megabyte downloads by satellite onto the dish antenna. Consumer DVB IP cards and DVB USB Boxes are all that were needed.
Open Sky has a multicast facility which he referred to as ‘push package delivery’. Video files can be updated for select end users. It also facilitates video streaming smoothly. CNN is one of 20 channels streamed by the satellite operator. A content distribution network can be created. The Open Sky platform has a Digital Rights Management System as well as a billing system. This makes the broadcasters’ task that much simpler. He said that the opportunity in India existed as consumers have shown interest, the local content is excellent and technology is available. But it is important for the government and media parties get their act together so that activity could be initiated through the front door.
Eutelsat to launch W5 Eastern Bird satellite next month Vivanco also said that Eutelsat was planning to launch the W5 Eastern Bird satellite next month on Ku band. It will offer a widebeam footprint for Asia, the Middle East and Europe, a Steerable Spotbeam North for Far East Coverage and Steerable Spotbeam South for South East Asia, he said. This will greatly facilitate communication between Europe and Asia. The satellite will be operational by January, 2003.
The company has applied for landing rights permission from the government, the Financial Express reported.
“We are in the process of getting landing rights for W5. We envisage a large market in India and are targeting channels in the news, regional languages and entertainment genres,” Vivanco, was quoted as saying in the report.
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.
