DTH
Singh panel report: no speedy impact on DTH
NEW DELHI: The recommendations of the NK Singh panel on FDI that the media cap of 20 per cent in a DTH venture should be hiked to 49 per cent is highly unlikely to have any immediate impact on the proposed plans of those players – Rupert Murdoch and Subhash Chandra – interested in entering the KU-band DTH TV service sector in India.
According to broadcasting industry observers, the reason that such recommendations would not have an immediate is impact because the government will take its own sweet time in accepting the suggestion and subsequently directing the various departments and organizations to act on the suggestions.
But it has been accepted by the industry that certain sections of the government – NK Singh is with the Planning Commission, which is a government body – have at least acknowledged the fact that mere policies would not attract private players , specially FDI. The case of DTH is an example. The policy was announced late 2000, but till date no player has even firmed up its plans to enter this sector.
The Planning Commission had earlier also observed that the media cap of 20 per cent in a DTH venture should be relaxed and the policy guidelines relaxed as the whole policy had failed to create any sign if life in this sector. Apart from saying that the ministry was looking into the suggestion, information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj or the government has done precious little in this regard.
Even if everything is hunky-dory and the government gives all necessary permissions in a jiffy, after having co-opting suggestions on relaxation in FDI caps in a DTH venture, the final okay can come only sometime in the fourth quarter of this calendar year, industry experts have opined.
Even with relaxed FDI norms, a DTH venture will still need Indian partners who have an appetite for pretty investments in a venture where the gestation period is long.
Coupled with other things which need to be put in place, even Star, probably, cannot start a DTH venture before the first quarter of 2004. If work is done at a break-neck speed, the DTH venture may get off the ground sometime during the last quarter of 2003.
A typical DTH venture will need investment between $ 400 – 500 million and various studies undertaken in India have indicated that any company starting a DTH venture in India would be fortunate if it manages to corner a couple of million subscribers with three years. Considering the investment involved and the slow pace of cobbling together a decent subscriber base, a DTH venture will take that much long to even reach the level of operational profits.
Though Star executives can raise a toast to the positive recommendations of the NK Singh panels, it is Subhash Chandra and his satellite company that has to be watched where DTH is concerned.
ASC Enterprises Ltd, implementing the Agrani satellite project, is one of the two applicants that have sought permission for a DTH venture from the government. The other is Space TV, an affiliate of Star India Ltd.
Though sources in ASC Enterprises Ltd today told indiantelevision.com that the Singh panel report does not have any immediate bearing on the company’s plans, Star sources indicated that it is a positive step forward, but lot more needs to be done and clarified.
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.
