I&B Ministry
Government not averse to FM radio revenue sharing
NEW DELHI: The government today indicated that it is open to a revenue sharing model to help migrate the existing FM players into a new regime.
According to an I&B ministry official, it is being examined whether under a new regime a revenue sharing formula would be better or having a low entry license fee.
“As per a proposal that the I&B ministry will be circulating to other ministries for feedback next week, it has to be seen which of the options are feasible to pave the way for the opening of the second phase of FM Radio.”
The official added that the revenue shared percentage as suggested by the sector regulator (four per cent) seems to be on the lower side, which would effect government revenue collections.
The I&B ministry is also seized of the issue as to how to tackle the legal cases pertaining to the first phase of FM Radio privitasation. Several companies including Zee Telefilms and the Ambani’s backed Observer group had moved the court on various grounds after they had successfully bagged licenses for FM Radio during the first phase.
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.
