DTH
Dish files reply with FCC on proposed Time Warner Cable, Merger, says not in public interest
MUMBAI: Dish Network Corporation has filed a reply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) countering arguments made by Charter Communications, Inc. (Charter), Time Warner Cable, Inc. (TWC) and Bright House Net works (BHN) defending t he proposed merger between t he companies. In t he reply, DISH out lines how t he applicant s have f ailed t o prove t hat t his proposed merger is in t he public interest and reiterates its call for t he FCC t o deny the merger.
“If the proposed merger is approved, 90 percent of the nation’s high speed broadband homes would be cont rolled by two companies, and t he combined ‘New Charter’ would have every incentive t o sabot age OTT services like Sling TV that compete with the old school cable bundle,” said Jeffrey Blum, Dish senior vice president and deputy general counsel. “The proposed merger is harmful for consumers, competition and innovation, and should be denied.”
Following are key point s DISH makes in today’s filing. The complete filing can be found here.
Merger Will Not Serve the Public Interest:
New Charter will have an increased incentive and ability to Harm OVDs: New Charter would have a particularly heightened incentive t o discriminate against competing OVD services, especially live streaming services like Sling TV – which is a total substitute for linear pay television.
New Charter is Likely t o Increase Broadband Prices, Further Prejudicing Rival OVDs: New Charter will be able t o deploy another win- win strategy t o make it s broadband business more profitable, while still protecting its linear video business: raise t he price of broadband accesses it her directly or indirectly.
T he Merger Will Create a Dominant Duo poly wit h t he Incentive t o Engage in Anti-Competitive Parallel Conduct: As Dish explained in it s Pet it ion t o Deny, t his transact ion will create a broadband duopoly, with Comcast and New Charter cont rolling about 90 percent of the high- speed broadband homes in t he country. Parallel action, with one of the two following the other, will be enough to foreclose an OVD from almost all high- speed homes in t he country.
T he Merger “Benefits” are Nothing More than Repackaged Plans and Conjecture: Charter also f ails t o provide any evidence t hat t he combination of Charter wit h TWC and BHN is necessary t o achieve many, if not all, of the benefit s it t out s. From infrastructure through jobs and cost savings, Charter has offered lit t le more than recycled (non- merger- specific) business plans and conjecture.
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.
