DTH
Zee looking at July launch for DTH services?
NEW DELHI: Subhash Chandra companies Zee Telefilms and ASC Enterprises (which is implementing the Agrani satellite project), are preparing to launch a KU-band direct-to-home television service in India. A tentative timeframe that is being talked about for this within the group is July.
According to broadcasting industry sources, the Zee-Agrani combo has started talking about a DTH service for India. At a seminar held last week in the Capital, a senior Zee executive is also reported to have referred to the DTH service and that the group is looking at putting together a platform by “July or thereabouts”.
However, indiantelevision.com’s attempt to elicit an official response from Zee-Agrani was met with silence.
But, we also learn from government sources that the files relating to the two applicant companies for a DTH licence were in the information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s office yesterday and the minister is said to have studied them also.
That Zee-Agrani has started talking about a DTH service may also be because of the movements in the ministry and expect an initial go-ahead from the I&B ministry for this soon.
As the first step towards okaying a DTH venture the I&B ministry would need to issue a letter of intent (LoI) to the applicant, subsequent to which other parameters would have to be fulfilled.
But close on Chandra’s heel for a DTH venture will also be Star, which has applied for a DTH licence through Space TV. It would also expect a LoI soon after ASC Enterprises that has applied for the licence, if not along with it.
There have been numerous clarifications sought by the ministry on various aspects of Space TV, including its shareholding pattern. At last count, a particular missive from the ministry had sought clarification on whether some directors of Space TV were employees of Star India.
Still, the big question to ask here could be: do the two prospective DTH players have the financial muscle to make investments in a DTH venture? A typical DTH venture would need investments worth between $ 400-500 million.
Unless Space TV is being backed up by the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star, the little known company with an acknowledged paid up capital of Rs 100 million would find it difficult to cobble together the massive investment that a DTH venture would require.
Chandra’s case may be a bit different as the DTH platform is being sought to be put together by ASC Enterprises, where one of the subsidiaries has managed to attract foreign investment from Alcatel and Arianespace.
DTH
Dish TV moves court seeking level playing field with DD Free Dish
DTH player flags unfair edge as free platform reshapes pay-TV market
MUMBAI: Dish TV has approached the Kerala High Court, seeking a level playing field with DD Free Dish, the free-to-air satellite platform run by Prasar Bharati.
At the heart of the dispute is what Dish TV calls a regulatory imbalance. The company has urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to bring DD Free Dish under the same rules as private direct-to-home operators, including mandatory encryption and compliance with the Digital Addressable System under existing laws such as the Indian Telegraph Act and the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.
Private DTH platforms are required to encrypt their signals, meaning viewers need authorised set-top boxes and paid subscriptions. In contrast, DD Free Dish remains unencrypted, allowing access through basic equipment without monthly fees, a difference Dish TV argues creates a structural advantage.
In its petition, Dish TV has described the current framework as arbitrary and discriminatory, alleging it undermines constitutional guarantees of equality and the right to trade. The company pointed out that while private operators shoulder the cost of encryption infrastructure, licensing fees and regulatory levies, DD Free Dish operates without similar obligations despite scaling up significantly.
Originally launched to distribute Doordarshan channels, DD Free Dish has steadily morphed into a quasi-commercial platform. It now carries around 120 private channels and generates substantial revenue through slot auctions, with earnings rising sharply over the years, according to the petition.
The case also throws a spotlight on shifting dynamics within India’s television market. Pay DTH operators have been grappling with a shrinking subscriber base, which has fallen from nearly 70 million in 2021 to about 51 million in 2025. At the same time, DD Free Dish has expanded its reach to roughly 53 million households, buoyed by viewers in price-sensitive regions opting for free access over paid subscriptions.
The migration has been further fuelled by broadcasters placing popular channels on the free platform, making it an increasingly attractive alternative for households looking to cut costs.
The Kerala High Court has admitted the petition and scheduled the next hearing for June 2, 2026. It also noted that a recent notice by Prasar Bharati inviting regional channels to uplink on DD Free Dish without carriage fees until March 31, 2026 will remain subject to the final outcome of the case.
Regulators have already acknowledged the gap. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, in its July 2024 recommendations, proposed a shift towards an addressable system for DD Free Dish, though these suggestions are not binding. The government is yet to take a final call, mindful of the platform’s reach among millions of households.
The petition follows repeated representations from private players and bodies such as the All India Digital Cable Federation, all flagging the same concern: a fast-growing free platform competing in a paid market without the same rulebook.
As the courtroom battle unfolds, the outcome could redraw the contours of India’s pay-TV ecosystem, deciding whether the free ride continues or the rules of the game finally converge.
