I&B Ministry
Russian delegation visits I&B ministry to discuss cooperation in the sphere of media
MUMBAI: A Russian Delegation led by the Russian Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, H.E Alexey Volin, including the Ambassador of Russian Federation to India, H.E. Nikolay Kudashev and other delegates met Ministry of I&B secretary Amit Khare on Friday.
It was mutually agreed during the meeting that an Annual Indo-Russian Forum for Media Cooperation be organized alternately in India and Russia in order to institutionalize the process of cooperation between the two countries in the media and entertainment sector. Television, news agencies, digital distribution platforms, new media, news gathering, co-production of programmes, sharing of content and exchange of professionals were identified as possible areas of collaboration.
The need to forge strong connections between the young journalists of the two countries was also highlighted in the meeting.
During the discussion, Amit Khare stated that the Golden Jubilee edition of the International Film Festival of India scheduled to be held later this year offers an opportunity to countries to showcase their creativity and cinematic excellence on a global platform. He extended an invitation to the Russian Delegation to participate in the Festival.
H.E. Alexey Volin talked about the immense popularity of Indian films in Russia and mentioned about a 24-hour channel dedicated solely to Indian films, currently operational in Russia.
The meeting was also attended by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati; Sitanshu Kar, Principal DG, PIB; Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary, Ministry of I&B; Supriya Sahu, DG, Doordarshan; F. Shehryar, DG, All India Radio; Mayank Agrawal, DG, DD News; Chaitanya Prasad, Addl. DG, Directorate of Film Festivals and JP Mattu Singh, Addl. DG, AIR News.
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.
