I&B Ministry
MIB cancels permission of 126 TV channels; total permitted channels touch 857
NEW DELHI: While the total number of satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India has risen to 857, the permission to as many as 126 channels have been cancelled.
Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 983 channels, which included those whose permissions were cancelled later. Of the 29 channel permitted after 30 November, 19 were cleared in December 2015 and 1o in January 2016.
Of the permitted channels, 399 are news and current affairs channels, while 458 are general entertainment channels (GECs).
Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country, as on 31 January, 2016.
A total of 749 channels including 372 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 88 including 73 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.
The largest gainer after the last list of 30 November, 2015 was Star India, which launched 10 channels, while Viacom 18 launched seven. Sony and the Times Group launched four each, Zee launched two channels, and one channel each was launched by Travel XP Celebrities Management and Vijay TV.
While Star India and Zee (Ten Sports) launched sports channels (which fall in the category of GECs), some others launched High Definition channels.
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.
