DTH
Tata Sky Seniors airs Neena Gupta’s iconic show ‘Saans’ after two decades! Tune in to 505
A modern take on adultery, relationships and broken marriages, the iconic show Saans was a breath of fresh air for the television audiences in the 90s. Bringing back those memories, Tata Sky Seniors is airing the cult 1998 show which was written and directed by National Award Winning actress Neena Gupta. She also played the role of female protagonist alongside actor Kanwaljit Singh, Kavita Kapoor, Shagufta Ali, Sushmita Daan, and Bharat Kapoor, amongst others. The show is on-air on Tata Sky Seniors – Tune in 505 every Monday to Friday at 12 noon and 9 pm.
The show was ahead of its time and challenged the image of an Indian woman as it tried to analyse the antics of the institution of marriage, cheating, and falling in love. It revolved around the happily married Priya Kapoor (Neena Gupta) and Gautam Kapoor (Kanwaljit Singh) and their teenage kids Akul and Mithi. However, things change when Gautam befriends Manisha (Kavita Kapoor), who later falls for him. He leaves Priya, only to find Manisha is tough to handle. Priya struggles to find her identity and stands up for herself eventually.
Neena Gupta took to social media to express her excitement and asked her fans to revisit and enjoy the old memories. In a video posted on Instagram, she said, “Everyone can now watch my show ‘Saans’ on Tata Sky from Monday- Friday at 9.00pm. Those who have watched it before, can watch it again and those who didn’t get a chance to watch it, can start watching it now.”
Tata Sky Seniors is a specially curated service for senior citizens with shows related to health & fitness, digital education, financial planning & relationship management.
~Watch ‘Saans’ on 505 from Monday – Friday at 12 noon and 9 pm. You can watch all episodes of the week at a go on Sunday at 7.30 pm only on Tata Sky Seniors. The service is also available on Tata Sky Mobile app
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.
