I&B Ministry
FM P-III auction: EMD, bidders initial eligibility declared
NEW DELHI: Even as the day of the e-auction of the second batch of FM Phase III on 25 October 2016 approaches, the Government has released the earnest money deposit (EMD) by the pre-qualified bidders and the initial eligibility points (IEP) of each of these.
According to a list put up on the website of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Entertainment Network (India) Limited of the Times Group tops the list with an EMD of over Rs 375 million (Rs 37.5 crore) thus gaining 15,000 eligibility points. This is followed by Ushodaya Enterprises Private Limited with around Rs 133.3 million (around Rs 13.33 crore) as EMD,getting 5331 IEP and Kal Radio Limited with EMD of Rs 133 million (Rs 13.3 crore) and 5320 IEP.
All the 11 bidders have put in an EMD of less than Rs 130 million (Rs 13 crore). The list of pre-qualified bidders for e-Auction of the second batch of private FM Radio Phase-III channels:
No. Name of Applicant EMD
Initial Eligibility Points
1 Abhijit Realtors& Infraventures Private Limited Rs
2,58,75,000 1035
2 Dharmik InfomediaPrivate Limited Rs
7,75,000 31
3 EntertainmentNetwork (India) Limited Rs
37,50,00,000 15000
4 Hotel Polo TowersPrivate Limited Rs
1,25,000 5
5 JCL Infra Limited
Rs19,50,000 78
6 Kal Radio Limited
Rs 13,30,00,000 5320
7 Malar PublicationsPrivate Limited Rs
5,26,50,075 2106
8 Purvy BroadcastsPrivate Limited Rs
10,32,500 41
9 Rockstar EIPrivate Limited Rs
1,25,000 5
10 Sambhaav MediaLimited Rs
6,88,50,000 2754
11 South Asia FMLimited Rs
4,40,00,000 1760
12 The Malayala Manorama Company Limited Rs 1,75,50,025
702
13 The Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co Ltd Rs 1,76,00,000
704
14 Ushodaya Enterprises Private Limited Rs
13,32,98,950 5331
As stipulated in the notice inviting applications of 20 June 2016, bidders are required to submit their bid for at least one city in the first clock round. Any bidder failing to do so in the first clock round will forfeit its EMD in its entirety. The ministry said any assistance in this regard is available on contact helpdesk +91-124- 430 2039 or support@c1eauctions.com.
The second batch of FM Radio Phase-III channels comprises 266 channels in 92 cities. The channels include 227 channels in 69 fresh cities and 39 channels in 23 existing cities which had remained unsold as there were no bids. As in the first stage, the e-auctions will be conducted by C1 India Private Ltd. A pre-bid conference was held on 11 July 2016, followed by training and then a mock auction earlier this month.
The first payment of 25 per cent of the successful bid amount will be made within five calendar days, and the remaining within 15 calendar days of the close of the auction and notification of successful bidders by the Government.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati sets EPG standards for DD Free Dish platform
New specs define 7-day guide, LCN mapping, and device compatibility.
MUMBAI: Your TV guide just got a backstage pass structured, scheduled, and far more in sync. Prasar Bharati has released detailed technical specifications for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) services on DD Free Dish, laying down a standardised framework for how channels and programme information are organised and delivered. At the core of the update is a defined EPG data structure, covering genre-based categorisation, scheduling formats, and Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). The aim is simple: make navigation less guesswork and more guided experience across the platform’s over 40 million households.
The specifications also introduce a seven-day programme guide window for each channel, alongside clear rules for channel grouping and LCN mapping effectively deciding not just what you watch, but how easily you find it.
On the technical front, the document outlines requirements for Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI), including descriptor usage across tables such as PAT, BAT and NIT. It further details service lists and network linkage parameters, giving OEMs and developers a clearer blueprint for integration.
Importantly, the framework is designed to work seamlessly with television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners, enabling users to access DD Free Dish directly without additional hardware, an incremental but meaningful step towards simplifying access.
The platform will continue to operate on GSAT-15 transponders, using MPEG-4 compression and DVB-S2 transmission standards, ensuring continuity even as the interface evolves.
While largely technical, the move signals a broader push towards standardisation and user-friendly discovery in India’s free-to-air ecosystem because sometimes, the real upgrade isn’t what’s on screen, but how easily you get there.
