I&B Ministry
MIB flags issue of anti-national content on cable channels, seeks industry advisory
NEW DELHI: Ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is seeking an advisory from the Indian media and entertainment industry on a number of issues, including ways to track and stop so-called anti-national content being aired on some local cable TV channels, which do not need to register with any government body.
In a meeting held in MIB’s headquarters in the Capital’s Shastri Bhawan yesterday, senior officials put forth their concerns to the industry representatives and sought their help in resolving the issues, which have been flagged in various sections of the government, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) responsible for internal security.
Government sources indicated that the MHA has requested MIB to look into the issue of cable channels being run by some LCOs in states like Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh where `objectionable’ content aimed at flaring sectarian passions were being telecast. Some such cable channels are also said to be illegally downloading unencrypted content from foreign TV channels for rebroadcast in various parts of India.
As cable channels run by LCOs or MSOs or similar channels on a DTH platform as part of value-added services or VAS are not yet required to register with the government, officials find it difficult to zero down on cable channels especially. As LCOs are required to register with the local post offices, a common database of such Indian LCOs is also not there for effective tracking, as admitted by a government official, who hastily added that work on creating a LCO database is underway.
As part of its many set of recommendations to streamline the carriage part of the cable and broadcast business, regulator TRAI had suggested that the government tweak relevant regulations to specify that all cable channels run by LCOs too would have to get government license like satellite or cable-delivered TV channels. However, because of effective lobbying by LCO organizations, MIB is yet to act on the regulator’s suggestions on cable channels.
Government sources indicated that more such meetings may be held with industry reps to understand and find solutions to issues linked to country’s national interest.
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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.
