I&B Ministry
Government to set up 3 TV centres, 8 more to be augmented
MUMBAI: The Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs minister P R Dasmunsi in Lok Sabha has announced that three new TV centres are to be set up and eight more to be augmented in the country.
Under the plan to set up new TV Centres, the ones at Rajouri (J&K) and Calicut (Kerala) are technically ready whereas the site has been taken over and building plans have been finalised for the Tirupati studio. Target completion date is 2008-2009, informs an official release.
In the case of eight augmentation projects for existing TV centres, the technical area of building has been completed for Gorakhpur and departmental works have been taken up with the aim to complete it in 2006-2007.
As regards additional studios in Chandigarh, Panaji, Jammu and Srinagar, building plans have been finalised and preliminary estimates for building works sanctioned. For project of a studio at Derhadun, land has been taken over and building plan finalised. In the case of work of building construction has been awarded.
These projects are expected to be completed within 2008-2009. For the augmentation of studio at Portblair, the scheme has been approved and financial sanction issued and the target for completion is 2007-2008, adds the release.
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.
