DTH
MIB to distribute 1.5 lakh Free Dish in remote areas of J&K
Mumbai: The government will distribute 1.5 lakh free dish in far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the ministry of information and broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra said on Tuesday during a visit to Kangan Sub Division of J&K to assess the outreach of DD Free Dish in the area.
The free dish services are proposed in the areas where cable services are unavailable, the government said. The government said that the tendering is under process and will be completed soon.
The union secretary was accompanied by All India Radio principal director general (news) N. V. Reddy; Doordarshan director general Mayank Agarwal; Press Information Bureau Srinagar additional director general Rajinder Chaudhry, News DDK Srinagar deputy director Qazi Salman and the officers of the district administration.
Chandra highlighted the importance of providing free-of-cost services to the masses. He said that the service is being distributed in remote areas of Kashmir and its ambit will be increased in the times to come.
Chandra also commended Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar for “aptly representing the local culture and traditions through its programmes reaching the people with authentic information.”
The I&B Secretary also interacted with locals using DD Free Dish at Margund Kangan who shared their feedback about the programmes available on various channels, especially DD Kashir.
“The scheme will help in keeping the people updated about different developmental initiatives and also inform them about the local as well as national events of importance,” stated a local Abdul Rashid Sheikh.
DD Free Dish is owned and operated by public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati. It was launched in December 2003 and reaches 43 million households across the country.
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.
