I&B Ministry
MIB directs states to ensure TV digitisation & action against defaulters
NEW DELHI: Noting that it has been receiving a number of complaints alleging analogue signals were still being transmitted by some cable operators, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has directed local administrations in the country to crack down on such errant LCOs and report back on the actions taken.
This move comes within days of a notice to around 180 multi-system operators — granted provisional licenses — who had failed to comply with requirements of the government regarding digitisation, including updating information on the number of digital boxes seeded in their areas of operation.
In a letter to all state chief secretaries, MIB additional secretary Jayashree Mukherjee reiterated the government had mandated only digital encrypted signals can be carried on the cable TV networks in the country from 1 April 2017 and carriage of analogue signals and/or unencrypted signals after that date was a violation of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995 for which authorised local level officers had powers under the law to seize the equipment of the defaulting cable operators.
The letter also pointed out that no reports were being received from the authorised local officials on action taken on complaints forwarded by the MIB, which had also prepared a check list for inspection of MSOs and sent it to officials of various local administrations on 25 April 2017. The directive was simple: plan regular inspection and take prompt action against the defaulters.
“Very poor response on carrying out of inspection by the authorised officers has been received,” the MIB letter rued, requesting various state chief secretaries to direct their colleagues to be more active on this front against defaulters.
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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.
