I&B Ministry
IIS overhaul & DD RNUs to focus on regional infra & local content
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has urged the regional news framework to focus on local content, development and bottoms-up approach.
He said the emerging information flow should aim at transformative and emerging New India with effective communication outreach. The GST and Swachh Bharat campaign were classic examples of communicating reforms and seamlessly reaching out to the common man about the benefits of such flagship initiatives of the Government.
Inaugurating the Doordarshan Regional News Unit (RNU) workshop here, he said the strategy of Doordarshan should be founded on three pillars of authenticity, objectivity and timely dissemination of information. Objectivity in news and information dissemination was critical for people to understand and pursue issues.
The Regional News Units (RNUs) played a critical role in a linguistic and culturally diverse country like India, catering to local aspirations and addressing communication needs thereby bringing out a synergy in Government communication.
The Minister emphasised that the communication outposts to reform mindsets, enhance administrative performance and transform nation through the broadcast of success stories which had significant impact on the lives of the local people fell on the RNUs.
RNUs telecast a total of about 146 daily news bulletin in 23 languages for a cumulative duration of more than 30 hours daily.
He added that the RNUs need to work in collaboration with the state governments to bring about transformation in the emerging New India and perform proactively the responsibilities of a public broadcaster. He also called upon the participants to focus on innovative thinking, out of box ideas, new methods involving technological tools and a foresight to understand the changing media landscape.
Speaking on the media and entertainment Industry, Naidu said the industry is on the cusp of a strong phase of growth, backed by rising consumer demand and improving advertising revenues.
He also highlighted the Government’s push towards Cable digitisation as well as the role of free to air (FTH) DTH platforms like Doordarshan FreeDish in plugging the gap between premium DTH and low quality Cable market.
Naidu said the Ministry was in the process of bringing out a bringing about a complete overhaul in the Indian Information Service Cadre in line with the changing information and communication paradigm. The focus would be shifting towards strengthening of the regional infrastructure and personnel to fulfill the communication and information needs of each and every section of the society across the country.
Naidu also complimented the officials for their efforts while launching the new website of DD News on the occasion.
A presentation on the functioning of the RNUs was earlier made by DG News Veena Jain highlighting the mandates and achievements of the RNUs. The presentation also provided an insight into the future roadmap for the RNUs.
MoS Rajyavardhan Rathore, Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash, Ministry Secretary N K.Sinha, and Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi S Vempatii were also present on the occasion.
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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.
