News Broadcasting
‘Official launch of DD’s DTT operations by June’
National broadcaster Doordarshan expects to officially launch digital terrestrial transmission (DTT) in the four metros of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai by June.
According to Girish Chandra Rai, superintending engineer, Mumbai Doordarshan Kendra, currently transmission on DTT mode in New Delhi on an experimental has been on since the first week of April. Rai said the official launch of DTT services would only be made when all the four metros were deemed to be ready to start operations and not before.
Rai said the work of putting up transmitters had been completed in all four metros. Now all that was needed was to get the systems electronically integrated. Rai said the transmitters had been sourced from Japan while the encoders were purchased from the UK.
The project, which initially will cover just the four metros, is expected to cost Rs 300 million. Bangalore and Pune are next on the launch map, in addition to other cities, which are in the process of being identified. Rai said that DTT service would be launched with five channels DD1, DD2, DD Sports, DD Bharati and one regional DD channel (eg. in Mumbai it would be DD Sahyadri).
Rai said that DD was hoping that with private participation this number would go up finally to 15 to 20 channels.
Queried as to the cost of DTT set top box (or converter), Rai said what was available in the market currently varied between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000. When the poser was put to him as to why DD was looking at DTT at all considering the costs Rai said: “The world over they are talking of a total shutdown of analog by 2012.” In India, it might take a while longer than that but it would happen, Rai said.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
