17 regional broadcasters get free MPEG-4 slots on DD Free Dish

NEW DELHI:  Prasar Bharati has cleared 17 regional television channels for free carriage on DD Free Dish’s MPEG-4 platform, widening access to regional language content on India’s largest free-to-air direct-to-home service.

The allocation, made under the public broadcaster’s 93rd allotment round, will run on a pilot basis until March 31, 2026. The move is aimed at expanding linguistic diversity on DD Free Dish while testing demand ahead of long-term slot allotment norms.

The selected channels include TV9 Kannada, Public TV and Mazhavil Manorama, alongside a strong Bengali slate featuring ABP Ananda, R Bangla, TV9 Bangla, R Plus Gold, Kolkata TV, R Plus Bengali, Enterr 10 Bangla and Khushboo Bangla.

Other regional additions include Kanak News (Odia), ABP Majha and 9X Jhakaas (Marathi), ABP Asmita and Gujarat First (Gujarati), and News State Punjab-Haryana-Himachal (Punjabi).

Under the pilot framework, the channels will be carried on DD Free Dish’s MPEG-4 feeds without carriage fees, giving broadcasters access to the platform’s mass reach while offering viewers a richer regional mix.

The move underlines Prasar Bharati’s push to strengthen regional broadcasting and reinforce DD Free Dish’s role as a key distribution pipe for free television in a fragmenting media market.

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