I&B Ministry
Ten’s McDonald meets I&B minister Reddy
NEW DELHI: A fortnight ahead of a crucial hearing in the Supreme Court relating to a cricket telecast row between Doordarshan and Ten Sports, senior executives from the latter company met the information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy today.
The meeting was described as a “courtesy call,” but the Dubai-based Taj Television Ltd CEO Chris McDonald admitted that various issues relating to sports broadcasting were discussed s part of a general discussion with the minister.
Asked specifically whether the issue of DD-Ten Sports wrangling, now pending a decision in the apex court, was brought up, McDonald replied in the negative.
McDonald was accompanied by Taj TV India head Sarmishta Rijhwani, who added that “nothing specific” was brought up or discussed during the meeting with Reddy.
Ten Sports is involved in a legal wrangle with Indian pubcaster DD over the telecast of the India-Pakistan cricket series, held after 14 years, in Pakistan last year. Ten has been claiming that allowing DD to also show the cricket matches, the rights of which ere obtained exclusively by Ten, has resulted in financial losses.
The Supreme Court, earlier, had directed DD to deposit Rs 500 million with the court, which may be used to cover up Ten Sports alleged losses, if proved in the court.
In turn, DD has been lobbying with the government to enact a legislation that would ensure the terrestrial broadcaster also getting telecast rights of any events that is deemed important for the country, irrespective of the fact whether a private channel has obtained telecast rights or not for India.
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.
