DTH
TAS launches digital platform on AsiaSat 4 Ku for DTH service
MUMBAI: Teleport Access Services, Inc. (TAS) launched a Multiple Channels per Carrier (MCPC) digital television and radio platform on AsiaSat 4 satellite’s Ku-band Australasia beam to offer Direct-to-Home (DTH) television services in Australia and New Zealand.
The platform is currently transmitting three television channels, including Pacific TV 1, Pacific TV 2 and Da-Ai Television. Both Pacific TV 1 and 2 are Vietnamese-language television services broadcasting in encrypted format while DA-AI Television is a Chinese-language, religious channel available free to air to audiences across AsiaSat 4’s Australasia coverage.
The platform, operated by TAS in Taiwan, offers a full range of transmission services including signal turnaround, uplinking and encryption services to broadcasters who wish to provide services targeting local ethnic communities, including professionals and immigrants working and living in Australia and New Zealand.
“The excellent power, coverage and look angles offered by AsiaSat 4, as well as the flexible switching capability of the satellite’s Ku-band transponders fully support our delivery of DTH services using dishes as small as 45 cm in the Australasian landmass. We anticipate that more television services will be added to this platform in the near future,” said TAS president Yu-Chun Kuo.
“The launch of this new digital platform on AsiaSat 4, the latest addition to the AsiaSat satellite fleet, further strengthens our television offering to the Australasian market. We look forward to bringing in a greater variety of television services to the multicultural audience in this region,” said AsiaSat CEO Peter Jackson.
The above channels are available on AsiaSat 4 in Ku-band Australasia beam with the following reception parameters: Transponder: K3V, Frequency: 12430 MHz, Video Format: DA-AI (digital, free to air), Pacific TV 1 & 2 (digital, encrypted), Polarisation: Vertical, Modulation: QPSK, Symbol Rate: 20 Msym/sec and FEC: 3/4.
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.
