DTH
Zee, govt may sign DTH licence agreement by next week
NEW DELHI: The Subhash Chandra-promoted ASC Enterprises, which has sought a licence from the Indian government to operate a KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) television service in India, is expected to sign a licence agreement with them some time next week.
According to a senior executive of Siti Cable, which is implementing the DTH project under the brand name Dish TV, “We have submitted the bank guarantee a few days ago and expect to sign the formal licence next week. Presently, the information and broadcasting ministry is understood to be preparing the necessary papers.”
The executive clarified that contrary to what has been reported in a section of the media, the formal agreement has not been signed yet.
Siti Cable is the cable arm of another Subash Chandra-promoted company, ZeeTelefilms Ltd.
Apart from ASC, other companies that have applied for a DTH licence include Space TV, a company promoted by Star India employees.
India’s pubcaster Doordarshan, which has got a government permission, expects its DTH operations to begin from April 2004. It will consisting mainly of DD channels and South Indian regional channels, though talks would be initiated with other private satellite channels – like Star and Sony – to join the platform on a revenue sharing basis.
The Siti Cable executive also said that DTH venture is likely to go on air by early October. “We are targeting to formally launch the service in the first week of October. Marketing activities are on at the moment.” The likely launch date is 2 October, which coincides with the anniversary of Zee TV.
The ASC-Siti Cable combine is also looking at making available the DTH service to consumers at a comparatively low cost — much lower than what has been touted by the industry. The industry, however, has cited global trends where DTH is a costly affair with niche and super-premium fare being aired through the service.
According to the Siti Cable executive, “The monthly subscription rates are still being worked out, but they will be competitive and comparable to cable service.”
The subscription fee for cable service in India, on an average, ranges between Rs 150 to Rs 450 (approximately between $ 3.50 to $9.60) per month.
It is also expected that to woo customers to the DTH service, Dish TV would keep the rates of the hardware needed for the service, including the dish and the box, to around Rs 5,000 (approximately $106). That would also include the one-time installation fee.
Earlier, ASC had petitioned the government to give it some relaxation on the the bank guarantee of Rs 400 million that had to be furnished before the licence was signed for a period of 10 years, as mandated in the guidelines.
ASC had said since no Indian bank gives a bank guarantee for such a long period, like in the telecom sector, it should be allowed to furnish a bank guarantee renewable every two years or so. The government had agreed to this request.
Dish TV is expected to be launched with 48 TV channels and this is expected to go up to over 100 in a year. Additionally, the first phase will have several radio channels in the first phase, apart from other value-added services like electronic programming guide and parental lock to keep the kids from watching unpalatable fare, if any. The number of channels on Dish TV is expected to go up to over 100 within a year of launch.
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.
