DTH
THE DTH IMPASSE: A CHRONOLOGY
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DATE
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EVENT
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| December 1996: | The United Front Government under Prime Minister Deve Gowda issues a notification saying that a licence has to be obtained for Ku-band DTH services. Many companies, including Star TV, apply for a licence. But government delays the process. |
| 26 March 1997: | Star TV holds a press conference in Delhi detailing their DTH plans. Star TV Asia CEO Gary Davey and others attend the function where a live demo is given. |
| First week April 1997: | The then communication minister Beni Prasad Verma signs a policy setting the terms and conditions for granting licences to DTH players. Two holidays follow and it cannot be notified. |
| 11 April 1997: | Gowda government falls as Congress withdraws support. |
| May 1997: | I&B minister Jaipal Reddy introduces the broadcast bill in Parliament which gets referred to a joint parliamentary committee. |
| July 1997: | The United Front Government under Prime Minister I.K. Gujaral issues another notification banning maintaining or keeping equipment capable of receiving TV signals over 4800 Mhz (Ku-band) till a comprehensive broadcast law is passed. |
| November 1997: | Gujaral government falls. |
| December 1998: | I&B minister Pramod Mahajan with the BJP-led government says the issue of DTH cannot wait till the passage of the broadcast bill. A decision has to be taken soon. |
| January-February 1999: | The Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee sets up a group of ministers (GoM), comprising ministers of I&B, communications, defence, finance and home, to come up with recommendations on DTH.Promod Mahajan said that DTH is as powerful as a Nuclear bomb. |
| February-April Ist week 1999: | Lot of study papers on DTH compiled for GoM, which fails to meet formally even once. But hopes of favourable recommendations abound as I&B minister admits in private he hopes to make an announcement in Parliament once it reassembles after a fortnight’s recess. |
| 17 April 1999 | The BJP-led government loses the vote of confidence on the floor of the Lower House of parliament. |
| October 1999 | National Democratic Alliance comes to power in the centre |
| 18 October 2000 | Jaitley sworn in as I & B Minister give indication as they will move fast on the DTH front, though cautiously. DD wants an exclusive licence for two years. |
| 15 March 2000 | Murdoch pushes for DTH service in India |
| 10 April 2000 | Jaitley said Prime Minister A B Vajpayee had constituted a committee chaired by the Union Minister to work out details of direct-to-home (DTH) services and uplinking facilities. |
| 4 October 2000 | Sushama Swaraj again takes on as I & B Minister, promises Television-for-Family |
| 16 October 2000 | Star TV’s James Murdoch, Bruce Churchill and Peter Mukherjee meet Swaraj |
| 29 Octobet 2000 | GoM committee headed by Home Minister L K Advani finalises most of the recommendations for lifting DTH ban. Law minister Arun Jaitley asked to frame legal ramifications on DTH. |
| 30 October 2000 | GoM committee recommends opening up DTH. I & B Minister Sushama Swaraj says that she will submit a note to the Indian Cabinet for a final decision. |
| 2 November 2000 | Cabinet Approves lifting DTH ban. Issues notification. |
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.
