I&B Ministry
Sahara’s Tamil news channel Bharat Today awaits MIB nod
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)published the status of application for new channels in regional languages on 5 February 2019. In the last two quarters of 2018, six companies applied for 10 regional channels in total.
Out of the 10 channels, four are from Eenadu Television, two are from LCGC Broadcasting and one each from Asianet News Network, Sidharth Broadcast, Sahara Television and Mavis Satcom.
All the four channels of Eenadu Broadcasting i.e. ETV Life HD, ETV Cinema HD, ETV Abhiruchi HD, ETV Plus HD, were granted permission from the MIB.
Out of the remaining six channels, five are news channels and a single non-news channel. All these six channels are under-consideration.
Sahara Television, which is undergoing financial turbulence, has also applied for a Telugu news channel, Bharat Today, on 26 December 2018.
Mavis Satcom has also put in an application for a Tamil news channel named Jaya TV on 2 January 2019, which is still under consideration.
Jesus Entertainment which opted for a regional channel named Yahova TV on 8 August 2016 in Tamil language is also under consideration.
In a recent update on 4 February, the MIB issued a notice informing all broadcasters that the online module for submitting applications for new TV channels is now operational on web portal www.broadcastseva.gov.in.
It also stated that henceforth, all such applications for new TV channels should be made through online mode only and no application should be sent through offline mode. BroadcastSeva is the effort of MIB to provide efficient and transparent regime for the growth and management of the Broadcast Sector. After submitting the online application the broadcasters are required to submit some documents through offline mode.
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.
