DTH
‘Kansai’ wins 2006 ABU CASBAA Unicef child rights award
MUMBAI: Kansai telecasting corporation of Japan has been named as the winner of the ABU CASBAA Unicef child rights award 2006 for its documentary entitled Conquering the Darkness – The fight against memories of abuse.
The child rights award , is given each year in recognition of the best television programming on a child rights issue produced in the Asia-Pacific region.
The documentary follows Aya, a 33-year-old mother, who suffered abuse as a child and subsequently abused her own children. It is the tale of a parent’s personal struggle to end the cycle of child abuse in the family.
“We are often quick to point the finger at parents who abuse their children, but patterns of abuse so often begin in childhood, creating a chain that can continue over generations, ” said documentray producer Shinichi Sugimoto.
This year, the child rights award received a total of 40 entries from countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Japan, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Singapore.
Broadcasting union secretary-general Asia-Pacific David Astley said, “The child rights award is a significant platform that allows broadcasters in the Asia- Pacific to demonstrate their ability to produce quality programming on children’s issues. The ABU wants to encourage broadcasters to continue to invest in such programmes in the future.”
CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies said, “The continued participation of regional broadcasters in the child rights award is welcome and clearly underlines their resolve towards producing educational and entertaining programmes for and about children.”
The panel of jurors included, Amar Keshar Simha, an independent producer from Pakistan; producer China central television (CCTV) Wang Yan; Mongolian radio and television director of Children’s Programme Ariunjargal Luvsantseren; Infocus Asia executive producer Francis Smith; Australia Network chief executive Ian Carroll and Discovery Networks Asia vice president programming James Gibbons.
The top ten finalists in 2006 are:
Winner
– Conquering the Darkness – The Fight Against Memories of Abuse (Japan)
Finalists
– Dark Street Kids (Malaysia)- This documentary chronicles the hardship, as well as the stigma and discrimination of children who are born and live in dark alleys or brothels of Malaysia.
– Korean Children – I am All Alone (Korea)- This documentary is about Minho is an 11-year-old boy neglected by his parents. His only friend is a TV set. A stark portrayal of how a child is deeply affected by the problems and negligence of his parents.
– Tuesday Report: Pocket Money (Hong Kong) – This programme documents the life of three children who live in cramped flats and have to sell scrap paper and scrap metal for their pocket money.
– Young People on Wheels (Bhutan) – The documentary follows a group of unemployed youths who are creating awareness of a campaign on HIV and AIDS in Bhutan.
– The Orphans, Childless and Predators (Singapore) – The documentary looks at on how orphaned children coped with the devastating experienceof Tsunami. It also features a child trafficker who agreed to tell his side of story and tries to justify his actions.
– Get Real Child Sex Tourism – Sold for Sex (Singapore) – The programme investigates the plight of child sex workers on the Indonesian Island of Batam.
– Emergency – Junior Boxer (Philippines) – Residents of general santos city are very fond of boxing even children undergo intensive training to become professional boxers during which many sustain grave injuries that sometimes even result in death.
– We Shall Overcome (Bangladesh) – This documentary chronicles the life of an eight-year-old girl who is deaf and mute and believes she can succeed in her dream to become a fine arts teacher.
– School of the Highlands (Philippines) – The importance placed on education by indigenous communities in the Philippines is recounted in this documentary which looks at the challenges families face in schooling their children and promoting their rights.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
