Distribution
WorldSpace partners Delphi for mobile radio receivers
MUMBAI: With the government allowing foreign owned satellite radio services such as WorldSpace to operate in India, the latter is now going full steam ahead.
Apart from starting an aggressive ground marketing campaign, it is also getting its act together on the receiver front.
A large part of the consumer base of the WorldSpace radio service is likely to be the well-heeled customer who will not feel squeamish about anteing up Rs 6,000 for a radio receiver and Rs 1,800 odd per annum as a subscription fee. Some of them, would not mind paying a little extra to buy receivers which they could install in the dashboards of their fancy wheels and listen to the crystal clear digital sound.
That probably is what drove WorldSpace to tie-up with US-based Delphi, a world leader in automotive systems and components, to launch and market Delphi-WorldSpace satellite radio receivers in India. The partnership covers the China market too and the sets are expected to roll out in the first half of 2006.
“We expect Delphi-WorldSpace Mobile Satellite Radio to fundamentally transform the mobile listening experience in India,” said Delphi Product & Service Solutions managing director Asia Pacific Dominic Seto. “With our product, Indian listeners can expect better sound quality than they are used to with conventional AM/FM equipment, as well as a greater variety of programming. Delphi-WorldSpace Mobile Satellite Audio will deliver clear, digital-quality sound and dramatically expand the array of choices for the Indian market – from five or six FM channels to dozens of news and entertainment options.”
The agreement calls for Delphi to provide hardware that will deliver uninterrupted access to the WorldSpace satellite radio network, which provides more than 35 radio stations across India. Digital satellite programming offered by WorldSpace includes a combination of news, sports, music, brand name content and education programming developed by WorldSpace or provided through sources such as BBC and CNN International.
Delphi-WorldSpace Mobile Satellite Radio receivers will be designed to receive and decode the WorldSpace satellite signal seamlessly throughout India and, in the future, in other markets where WorldSpace service is available.
New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has thrown open applications for fresh capacity on DD Free Dish, signalling a timely opportunity for broadcasters looking to expand reach without long-term lock-ins. The public service broadcaster has issued a dual notice for its 95th and 96th online e-auctions, aimed at filling vacant MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 slots on a pro-rata basis for February and March 2026.
The two auctions are tentatively scheduled to begin on January 27, with allotments valid from February 1, 2026. Applications for both auctions close on January 21 at 3 pm, giving channels a narrow window to get their bids in.
The 95th e-auction will cover vacant MPEG-2 slots, while the 96th will focus on MPEG-4 capacity. Participation is limited to satellite television channels holding valid downlinking and uplinking permissions from the ministry of information and broadcasting. International public broadcasters cleared by the ministry are also eligible.
As with previous rounds, channels have been grouped into buckets based on genre and language, with sharply differentiated reserve prices reflecting reach and demand.
For the MPEG-2 auction, Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels sit at the top of the pile. The starting reserve price for bucket A+ in the first round is Rs 2,63,48,000. Movie, music and sports channels in Hindi and Urdu follow in bucket A at Rs 2,10,14,000. Bhojpuri channels and other Hindi and Urdu genres, excluding devotional content, fall under bucket B with a reserve of Rs 1,78,62,000. Hindi and Urdu news channels in bucket C start at Rs 1,33,27,000, while bucket D, which includes regional language channels, English news and devotional or spiritual channels, begins at Rs 1,13,96,000.
The MPEG-4 auction comes in at a far leaner price point. News and current affairs channels in Hindi, English or pan-India languages, grouped under bucket G1, start at Rs 13,41,000. Non-news genres under bucket G2 have a reserve of Rs 8,80,000. Regional languages such as Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati in bucket R2 begin at Rs 4,84,000. Southern language channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, grouped under bucket R1, start at Rs 81,000, the same reserve price set for other scheduled 8 regional languages in bucket R3.
Prasar Bharati has underlined that compliance will be closely watched. Broadcasters must ensure that at least 75 per cent of their monthly programming, excluding advertisements, aligns with the declared genre and language. Any deviation could trigger show-cause notices or even removal from the DD Free Dish platform.
For channels chasing reach in a crowded market, the message is clear. The window is brief, the prices are set and the audience is waiting. On DD Free Dish, visibility still comes cheap, but only for those ready to move fast.
