I&B Ministry
Strong & vibrant media can ensure success of democracy: Dasmunsi
MUMBAI: The Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi is of the opinion that strong and vibrant media is necessary for ensuring optimum benefits from democracy.
Speaking at the inauguration of a seminar on South Asian Cooperation: Agenda for Media, organised by Broadcast Worldwide, he said the presence of an insightful media helps in maintaining the delicate balance between legislature, executive and judiciary.
Dasmunsi said that the media has the responsibility to ensure just place to all sections of society. “It must provide adequate space to the issues related to women and children more prominently in the rural areas so as to ensure that they also play active role in the development of the nation,” he said.
Dasmunsi added that India was looking forward to a more meaningful cooperation between the fourth estate in the member countries of Saarc. “Development of satellite technology together with widespread computerisation can catalyse efforts in achieving this goal. The print and visual media can help people understand cultural divergence and social background of people in the region,” he said.
“Saarc has been founded for the very purpose of expanding and nurturing cooperation amongst neighbouring countries, so that developments in the fields of science, technology, agriculture, education, trade and commerce etc. could benefit people of the region. The recent Saarc summit in Dhaka reiterated this solemn pledge, conceptualised by the founding fathers of the Saarc movement,” he concluded.
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.
