I&B Ministry
I&B ministry refers FM issue to EC
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has signed the file on the issue of licensing fees for FM radio operators, referring the matter to the Election Commission.
The finance ministry, to which the issue had been referred to last week, has not made much observation on the deferment of fees to be paid by the operators, saying it is upto the I&B ministry to take a call on the recommendations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The matter of license fee payment by FM operators in the country has been moving from ministry to ministry for the last two weeks, even as operators sought relief from the crushing fees that fell due in the last week of April. While Trai has suggested deferment of the fees, the present government has been unwilling to take a stand on the issue till the election are over.
While the Entertainment Network run Radio Mirchi tried to seek legal succour from the Bombay High Court last week and failed, the Millenium Broadcast operated Win downed shutters, protesting the high license fees and demanding a more rational model.
All private FM players are currently keenly watching each other’s moves as well as waiting for the government’s next step, which could well decide private FM radio’s fate in the country.
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.
