I&B Ministry
Navin Chawla assumes charge as I&B secretary
NEW DELHI: The new information and broadcasting secretary Navin Chawla took over formally in his new posting, replacing Pawan Chopra who retired yesterday from government service.
However, unlike his minister Jaipal Reddy, Chawla did not meet the media on his first day. That he wants to keep a low profile, especially on the eve of a new Parliament session that begins tomorrow, is understandable.
On being asked for an appointment by indiantelevision.com, Chawla’s office said that he would prefer to speak to the media after about 10 days by which time he would try to get a hang of things and issues in the ministry.
Chawla, considered close to the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s family, served as a joint secretary in the I&B ministry in the mid to late 1990s period.
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.
