DTH
Prasar Bharati relaxes DD FreeDish fees for FTA channels
MUMBAI: The Covid 2019 pandemic is not just decimating human lives it has also resulted in the broadcasting sector falling sick with shootings ceasing, ad revenues shrivelling, and subscription revenues drying up. To cope up with the rapidly turning toxic business environment, free-to-air (FTA) channels wrote to minister of information & broadcasting Prakash Javadekar in April seeking a waiver of carriage fees on DD Free Dish. Then strangely there was silence from both sides, apart from a few howls from the FTA owners.
Howevever, reports are that the pubcaster has heeded their plea and given them the option to defer their installments for the next three months or pay them partly.
In a letter/email dated 17 May – which is currently available with Indiantelevision.com – Prasar Bharati has stated that a channel can avail of deferment from the requirement of paying the carriage fee in an advance monthly statement, up to three months, subject to it furnishing separate bank guarantees towards the amount of each installment amount with interest after availing of this deferment for three months. This deferment is applicable for May, June and July.
It has also added that the channels have to furnish the bank guarantee by 22 May for the instalment of May and for June, July by 27 May and 27 June respectively. Moreover, if a channel has already paid the instalment for May, it can avail the benefit for the next three months.
Prasar Bharati has also drawn up another option if a channel finds it difficult to furnish a bank guarantee. Instead of paying the full amount of the installments, it can pay 67 per cent of the carriage fee for three months, that is, May, June and July. However, the balance has to be paid later along with the interest with regular installments.
The channels not seeking any of the relaxations have been offered an incentive of 0.5 per cent on the total payment. Moreover, channels which were removed or had opted out of the platform can also come back by availing these relaxations.
There are close to 150 occupants on DD FreeDish. Thanks to the service’s wide reach and availability, Dangal – a regional language channel – has more often than not beaten private satellite Hindi entertainment channels to the top spot in BARC’s ranking.
DTH
Dish TV launches ‘Kuch chhota sa’ campaign for TV flexibilit
New campaign highlights 190+ channels, Always-On service, Rs 99 Freedom Pack.
MUMBAI- Sometimes, the smallest remote click can fix the biggest daily friction and Dish TV is betting on exactly that insight. The company has rolled out a new campaign built around the thought ‘Kuch chhota sa karne par, life hogi behtar’, turning everyday viewing annoyances into a case for simpler, more reliable television access.
The campaign taps into a familiar household reality: millions of viewers continue to rely on free-to-air channels but increasingly want the flexibility of premium content, often ending up with a patchy and inconsistent viewing experience. Dish TV positions itself as the middle path—a structured yet flexible alternative that promises continuity without complexity. At its core is the pitch of an “Always-On” service, designed to keep content accessible even when recharge timelines slip, effectively reducing one of the most common friction points in DTH consumption.
To strengthen this proposition, the platform is offering access to over 190 channels, alongside a flexible pricing hook through its Freedom Pack, starting at Rs 99. The pack is positioned as a seasonal companion particularly relevant during high-engagement periods such as cricket tournaments, school holidays and festive windows, when content consumption spikes but users may not want long-term commitments.
Conceptualised by Enormous, the campaign unfolds through two master films and three short edits rooted in slice-of-life storytelling. From a husband quietly navigating around his sleeping wife to siblings striking a compromise over a coveted window seat, the narratives lean into humour and relatability rather than heavy messaging. The underlying idea remains consistent: small adjustments can meaningfully improve everyday experiences.
The rollout spans a full 360-degree media mix, including television, digital platforms, on-ground activations, point-of-sale visibility, Google Display Network placements and influencer-led content, signalling a push for both scale and contextual engagement.
As viewing habits continue to evolve in a hybrid ecosystem of free and paid content, Dish TV’s latest play reflects a broader industry shift where reliability and flexibility are increasingly positioned as differentiators, not just add-ons. In a market crowded with choice, the brand’s wager is simple: sometimes, it’s the smallest tweak that keeps audiences tuned in.
