DTH
‘Scan to help’ feature now available on My DishTV app
KOLKATA: Dish TV India has introduced a new ‘scan to help’ feature for its subscribers for a more convenient television viewing experience. Executed and conceptualised by the first runner-up team of Dish-a-thon 2020 (which happens to be an in-house team- team DishTV), the ‘scan to help’ feature is available on My DishTV app, which is powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning and supports Hindi and English language for easy understanding.
With this feature, the company aims to empower all existing and new subscribers for self-help in case of any technical errors on the set-top Box. Furthermore, the new feature also helps to achieve higher C-SAT, reduction in calls to Dish TVs call centre, and an opportunity to cross-sell.
Subscribers can seamlessly initiate the self-help journey by scanning the error plate and it will automatically share an update on the account status and current subscription. In case of bad weather conditions at the broadcasting center, it will take an update of the weather conditions in the subscriber’s locality and proceed with technical troubleshooting. The app will also provide an option to raise a service ticket within the journey itself.
Dish TV India executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said new features like ‘scan to help’ are set to redefine and shape up the future of the M&E/broadcasting industry.
"In this digital era, technology-led solutions and offerings are paramount to achieving customer satisfaction and this new AI-enabled tech feature is a step in the same direction. What makes this feature extremely special is the fact that this idea was proposed by one of the top three winning teams of Dish-a-thon 2020. This was an in-house team – team DishTV – and they have taken the idea forward to its solutioning and complete execution,” he added.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
