I&B Ministry
Only 180 community radio stations despite financial aid by govt
NEW DELHI: Despite the scheme being almost a decade old and the government extending financial assistance, the total number of operational community radio stations (CRS) in the country is just 180.
This is despite the fact that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued around 410 permissions to set up community radio stations in the country. In addition to other assistance, the Government has even set up a fund for helping CRS.
A Parliamentary Committee noted recently that 209 applications for setting up of community radio stations were pending with various Ministries. Even though the number of applications pending in the Ministries concerned has come down substantially, there are at least 50 applications that are pending, which have crossed the stipulated timeline beyond three months.
Though the scheme was launched around a decade earlier, the outreach of the CRS was enhanced in 2006 to include non Governmental and Community based organisations with at least three years of legal existence.
Earlier this year, Parliament was informed that only 76 letters of intent (LOI) had been issued out of the 689 applications from educational institutions, registered societies, trusts and NGOs etc received since 1 January, 2012 for setting up community radio stations.
As many as 285 applications had been returned or rejected, while 263 had been referred back to the applicants.
According to the list placed on the Ministry’s website as on 1 May, 2015, the largest number of community radio stations – around 90 – are being operated by private and governmental educational institutions, around 65 by non-governmental organisations, around 20 by universities including six by state agricultural universities, and six by Kendriya Vidyalya Kendras.
Tamil Nadu has the largest number of CRS numbering around 27, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 21, Maharashtra with 17, Madhya Pradesh with 14, and Karnataka with 13. All other States and Union Territories have 10 or less CRs with Delhi having six.
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.
