I&B Ministry
MIB asks GECs to promote Covid helplines
Mumbai: The union ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) asked general entertainment channels (GECs) to promote six central government Covid helpline numbers. The country is battling with its worst-ever health crisis, with over 2,500 people succumbing to the infection daily.
“The private general entertainment (non-news) TV channels are advised to promote awareness of these six national level helpline numbers by way of a ticker or such (other) appropriate ways as they may consider, at periodical intervals,” the I&B ministry said in its recent advisory.
It has asked channels to promote national helpline numbers that include the union ministry for health and family welfare (1075), women and child development ministry (1098), and the national institute of mental health and neuro-sciences for psychological support (08046110007).
Apart from these three major helplines,it has also sought to promote other helpline numbers that include, the AYUSH COVID-19 counselling number (14443), the MyGovWhatsApp help desk (9013151515), and that of the union ministry of social justice and empowerment for senior citizens (14567).
In its advisory, the I&B ministry noted that the second wave of the coronavirus in India was showing signs of slowing down, even as the number of fresh cases was still on the higher side. On Friday, the country recorded as many as 1,34,000 new cases. The advisory also lauded private channels for complementing government efforts to fight the Covid pandemic by creating awareness regarding the infection.
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.
