DTH
FDI cap on DTH to stay: Prasad
NEW DELHI: Cold water has been poured over the expectations of Star and Zee-ASC combine if they thought the government would move away from its promised common minimum programme, announced at the beginning, and relax the foreign investment cap in DTH venture from the existing 20 per cent.
This was confirmed by information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a written reply to his fellow parliamentarians in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) today.
After the announcement came in Parliament, a senior I&B ministry official told indiantelevision.com that though the NK Singh panel had suggested raising the FDI cap to 49 per cent in DTH ventures and some of the suggestions were discussed by a group of ministers last week,” DTH was never part of that day’s agenda.”
“We also feel that the minister is not in any hurry to overturn any decision or stand taken by his predecessor,” the official said.
Swaraj had, in fact, told journalists late last year that under her the I&B ministry had rejected the Singh panel recommendation on DTH.
On whether government proposes to put in place a regulatory system to ensure licence for DTH is granted to a foreign company which keeps an Indian company as a dummy, Prasad said I&B ministry regulates grant of licence for these services.
Still, it is also a fact that the files relating to permission sought by Space TV and ASC Enterprises Ltd for DTH licences have been lying with Prasad for the last fortnight waiting for a stand to be taken by him on the issue.
“It is in fact quite frustrating to know that the files are with the minister and no decision is being taken on DTH,” a senior executive of one of the applicant companies said.
As per existing guidelines, total foreign investment including FDI/Non-resident Indian/Overseas Corporate Bodies/Foreign Institutional Investors in DTH broadcasting shall not exceed 49 per cent within which the FDI component shall not exceed 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, Prasad also informed the house that the government was considering a proposal to review the present norms permitting foreign-owned news channels to uplink from India.
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.
