ITV

Tag: Free Dish

  • MIB mandates broadcasters to display ticker for games of ‘national importance’

    MIB mandates broadcasters to display ticker for games of ‘national importance’

    MUMBAI: On 25 April 2018, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued a notice mandating all TV channels broadcasting live sports of “national importance” to display a ticker with immediate effect. The ticker would have to state that the match was also available on DD Free Dish.

    The order requires channels to run the scroll—‘This match/game can also be viewed on DD Sports channel on DD Free Dish DTH and DD’s terrestrial network on the free-to-air basis’—in appropriate colour, font and size making it prominently visible every 15 minutes.

    The MIB had earlier this year tried to get Indian Premier League (IPL) matches under the ambit of games of “national importance.” The sports ministry, however, had rejected the proposal after which, Star India agreed to share one IPL match every week with DD with one hour’s delay.

    Games of national importance constitute India playing global sporting events and the finals of top tournaments. The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, made it compulsory for private broadcasters to provide access to sporting events of “national importance” to the largest number of listeners and viewers on a free-to-air basis.

    DD National then started getting live feed of Indian cricket matches, the Olympics and other important events and Prasar Bharati shared advertising revenues with the rights holder.

    The private broadcasters went to court and on August 22 last year, the Supreme Court asked Prasar Bharati to air the events only on terrestrial networks or on DD Free-Dish and not on channels like DD 1, which is notified as a must-carry channel for all pay TV (cable and DTH) operators according to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

    In March last year, the MIB notified the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, summer and special Olympics, Paralympics and certain tennis, hockey and football events as sporting events of national importance. In October 2016, the ministry declared that all official one-day internationals, Twenty20 and Test matches played by the Indian men’s cricket team, semi-finals and finals of the men’s World Cup and International Cricket Council Championship Trophy as cricketing events of national importance.

     

  • Prasar Bharati’s policy on DD Free Dish to be out soon

    Prasar Bharati’s policy on DD Free Dish to be out soon

    MUMBAI: The suspense surrounding Prasar Bharti’s policy on its free direct-to-home (DTH) platform is likely to end soon. The pubcaster has told the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) that it will come out with a new policy for DD Free Dish in a few weeks.

    Prasar Bharti made this submission before the tribunal that is hearing petitions filed by broadcasters against Doordarshan’s decision to scrap slot auctions without putting in place a new policy.

    As a result, Prasar Bharati has finally decided to expedite matters by framing a new policy on DD Free Dish.

    “The respondent – Prasar Bharti submits that the respondent is in the process of taking a policy decision in respect of subject matter of these petitions. It is expected that such decision may be taken within few weeks,” the TDSAT noted in its brief order.

    Following Prasar Bharati’s submission, the tribunal has posted the matter under the same head on 28 May. The tribunal also told Prasar Bharati to bring on record any decision that it takes in the meantime.

    “It appears that pleadings are already complete in these matters and there is no requirement of taking any further evidence. However, if there is any subsequent development, the parties will be at liberty to take required steps,” the TDSAT stated.

    Broadcasters have argued that DD can allow channels to continue on Free Dish on pro-rata basis. They also contended that DD’s decision amounts to discrimination as it has earlier granted continuity to channels on a pro-rata basis.

  • DD Free Dish looks at advertising for monetisation

    DD Free Dish looks at advertising for monetisation

    MUMBAI: The government’s own direct-to-home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish has had a good run since launch because of its wide acceptance, especially in the rural areas where the reach of cable is limited and pay TV is expensive. Now, the government is drawing up plans to make money from the platform.

    Last year, the government sanctioned a scheme to extend the number of channels to up to 250. In a reply in the Lok Sabha recently, Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Rajyavardhan Rathore said that this would enable Free Dish to generate revenue via advertisements. Quoting a private newspaper, the response mentions that private channels easily garner Rs 500-700 crore as revenue a year while a channel slot on Free Dish is as low as Rs 6-8 crore. He admitted that there were limitations to the revenue models that could be adapted into the free service if it wanted to ensure quality and reach.

    Another means of making money is via auction of channel slots on the DTH platform, which turned into a legal case when the auctions were arbitrarily called off mid last year by Smriti Irani, the information and broadcasting minister. Auctions have been kept in abeyance till a settlement is reached between Prasar Bharati and the networks that have reached out to the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal. The tribunal has asked the government to conduct a comprehensive review on the auctioning policy for Free Dish before any stand is taken.

    At present, there are 72 free channels and 39 radio stations available on Free Dish.

    Updating the parliament on its growth, Rathore added that about 66,000 DTH set-top boxes have been given out in tribal, remote and border areas. According to estimates, Free Dish’s total subscriber base is 22 million.

    Also Read :

    TDSAT interim order ensures continuity for private channels on FreeDish

    TDSAT gives Prasar Bharati 2 days to respond to FreeDish auction suspension

    FreeDish auction on 4 July, different reserve prices for GEC and news

     

  • DD Free Dish looking for tenant?

    DD Free Dish looking for tenant?

    MUMBAI: Pubcaster Doordarshan is looking for a tenant for a vacant slot it has on its Free Dish platform. The condition it has laid out for this is that it should become an occupant only for the month of August. And the cost of doing so: Rs 4.90 crore for the month.

    DD has issued an email circular – a copy of which has reached indiantelevision.com today – wherein it has asked private broadcasters to send in their expression of interest to take up the vacant slot. It, however, has cautioned that the carriage fee needs to be paid in advance along with service tax. It has also stated that the slot will be filled on a first come first serve basis.

    DD Free Dish has a bouquet of 104 video channels and 51 radio channels, according to the updated channel list (till 2 August 2016) on its website.

    DD Free Dish which is beaming DD Direct Plus/Free Dish off GSAT-15 at 93.5 East has a total of six – five in MPEG-2 and one in MPEG-4 – transponder frequencies for its service.

    The DTH provider added Zee News on Free Dish on 1 August after it won the e-auction on 28 July 2016. The Hindi news channel is also available as a FTA on Dish TV.

  • DD Free Dish looking for tenant?

    DD Free Dish looking for tenant?

    MUMBAI: Pubcaster Doordarshan is looking for a tenant for a vacant slot it has on its Free Dish platform. The condition it has laid out for this is that it should become an occupant only for the month of August. And the cost of doing so: Rs 4.90 crore for the month.

    DD has issued an email circular – a copy of which has reached indiantelevision.com today – wherein it has asked private broadcasters to send in their expression of interest to take up the vacant slot. It, however, has cautioned that the carriage fee needs to be paid in advance along with service tax. It has also stated that the slot will be filled on a first come first serve basis.

    DD Free Dish has a bouquet of 104 video channels and 51 radio channels, according to the updated channel list (till 2 August 2016) on its website.

    DD Free Dish which is beaming DD Direct Plus/Free Dish off GSAT-15 at 93.5 East has a total of six – five in MPEG-2 and one in MPEG-4 – transponder frequencies for its service.

    The DTH provider added Zee News on Free Dish on 1 August after it won the e-auction on 28 July 2016. The Hindi news channel is also available as a FTA on Dish TV.

  • DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    NEW DELHI: Even as the migration to MPEG 4 will commence from April, Prasar Bharati is making attempts to increase the capacity of television channels that can be carried by its free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish under the existing MPEG 2.

    While declining to give the number of channels that it will gain in MPEG 2, a Prasar Bharati source confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the switch-over to MPEG4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    The source confirmed that the channels that bid successfully in the auction being held next week will be accommodated within MPEG 2.

    Meanwhile, the source denied any glitches in the transfer of DD Free Dish channels from INSAT 4B to GSAT 15 and said clear guidelines had been given to all channels on the steps they had to take in the regard and the Engineering section of Doordarshan was stepping in wherever needed. The source also said that it had been responding to calls from various channels in this connection.

    Asked why the ratings of some popular channels were falling on DD Free Dish, the source added that this was a question best answered by the channels.

    The official was reacting to a comment that even after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India had commenced including rural area ratings in its weekly reports, there had been no perceptible increase in the figures of DD viewership despite claims by the pubcaster that it has the largest viewership in the country.

    The source said the popularity of DD Free Dish could be gauged from the fact that Aaj Tak and Big Magic, which are pay channels, were being run as FTA on Free Dish.

    A DD source added that the viewership of Big Magic, which had earlier been on Free Dish but had left it early this year had seen a steep fall and the channel had decided to come back on the platform.

    DD Free Dish is adopting the conditional access system (CAS) designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Free Dish will become encrypted but will remain FTA. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Free Dish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Free Dish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorised dealers.
    DD Free Dish currently has 64 channels including its own channels and Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV. It also carries channels of All India Radio.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to the content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

    Doordarshan has for the first time made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels by fixing a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains the Rs 4.3 crore for its 26th e-auction slated for 15 February.

    This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    Reserved slot for regional language channel includes only Non-Hindi Channels (News or Non-News). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.

  • DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    NEW DELHI: Even as the migration to MPEG 4 will commence from April, Prasar Bharati is making attempts to increase the capacity of television channels that can be carried by its free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish under the existing MPEG 2.

    While declining to give the number of channels that it will gain in MPEG 2, a Prasar Bharati source confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the switch-over to MPEG4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    The source confirmed that the channels that bid successfully in the auction being held next week will be accommodated within MPEG 2.

    Meanwhile, the source denied any glitches in the transfer of DD Free Dish channels from INSAT 4B to GSAT 15 and said clear guidelines had been given to all channels on the steps they had to take in the regard and the Engineering section of Doordarshan was stepping in wherever needed. The source also said that it had been responding to calls from various channels in this connection.

    Asked why the ratings of some popular channels were falling on DD Free Dish, the source added that this was a question best answered by the channels.

    The official was reacting to a comment that even after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India had commenced including rural area ratings in its weekly reports, there had been no perceptible increase in the figures of DD viewership despite claims by the pubcaster that it has the largest viewership in the country.

    The source said the popularity of DD Free Dish could be gauged from the fact that Aaj Tak and Big Magic, which are pay channels, were being run as FTA on Free Dish.

    A DD source added that the viewership of Big Magic, which had earlier been on Free Dish but had left it early this year had seen a steep fall and the channel had decided to come back on the platform.

    DD Free Dish is adopting the conditional access system (CAS) designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Free Dish will become encrypted but will remain FTA. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Free Dish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Free Dish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorised dealers.
    DD Free Dish currently has 64 channels including its own channels and Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV. It also carries channels of All India Radio.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to the content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

    Doordarshan has for the first time made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels by fixing a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains the Rs 4.3 crore for its 26th e-auction slated for 15 February.

    This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    Reserved slot for regional language channel includes only Non-Hindi Channels (News or Non-News). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.

  • DD Free Dish woos regional channels with special reserve price of Rs 2 crore in 26th e-auction

    DD Free Dish woos regional channels with special reserve price of Rs 2 crore in 26th e-auction

    MUMBAI: With Doordarshan’s free to air (FTA) direct to home (DTH) service DD Free Dish expected to acquire the capacity to carry more channels, the pubcaster has made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels.

    For the very first time, DD has reserved regional language DTH slot to attract regional channels to its bouquet and has fixed a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains Rs 4.3 crore in its 26th e-auction, which is scheduled to take place on 15 February.

    The Online e-auction will be held for filling up of slot reserved for regional language channels and the general slots for DD Free Dish. This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    The reserved slot for regional language channel includes only non-Hindi channels (news or non-news). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.

    The participation amount (EMD) of reserved slot for regional language channel is Rs 50 lakh. Incremental amount will be Rs 5 lakh for reserved slot and every e-auction will be of 15 minutes duration as in previous auctions.

    The participation amount (EMD) of general DTH slot is Rs 1.5 crore and incremental amount of general DTH slot will be Rs 10 lakh.

    The non-refundable processing fee will be Rs 10,000 for reserved regional language DTH slot and general DTH slot.

    Currently, DD Free Dish has 64 channels including its own channels, and Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV. But with acquisition of its new technology by the end of next month, it hopes to have a capacity of carrying 112 TV channels.

    The successful regional language channels are required to deposit Rs 50 lakh (first instalment) of reserve price within one month from the placement of the TV channel on DD Free Dish along with service tax at 14.5 per cent on the total bid amount. The second instalment amounting to Rs 50 lakh has to be deposited by the successful channel in the second month from the placement of the channel. 

    The successful general DTH channel is required to deposit Rs 1.10 crore within one month from the placement of the channel on DD Free Dish along with service tax at 14.5 per cent on the total bid amount. The second instalment of Rs. 1.10 crore has to be deposited by the successful channel in the second month from the placement of the channel.

    The balance bid amount for both the regional language and general DTH channels should be deposited on or before six months from the placement of the channel on Free Dish platform failing which the deposited amount will be forfeited and channel will be discontinued from the platform after serving 21 days discontinuation notice.

  • DD Free Dish woos regional channels with special reserve price of Rs 2 crore in 26th e-auction

    DD Free Dish woos regional channels with special reserve price of Rs 2 crore in 26th e-auction

    MUMBAI: With Doordarshan’s free to air (FTA) direct to home (DTH) service DD Free Dish expected to acquire the capacity to carry more channels, the pubcaster has made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels.

    For the very first time, DD has reserved regional language DTH slot to attract regional channels to its bouquet and has fixed a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains Rs 4.3 crore in its 26th e-auction, which is scheduled to take place on 15 February.

    The Online e-auction will be held for filling up of slot reserved for regional language channels and the general slots for DD Free Dish. This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    The reserved slot for regional language channel includes only non-Hindi channels (news or non-news). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.

    The participation amount (EMD) of reserved slot for regional language channel is Rs 50 lakh. Incremental amount will be Rs 5 lakh for reserved slot and every e-auction will be of 15 minutes duration as in previous auctions.

    The participation amount (EMD) of general DTH slot is Rs 1.5 crore and incremental amount of general DTH slot will be Rs 10 lakh.

    The non-refundable processing fee will be Rs 10,000 for reserved regional language DTH slot and general DTH slot.

    Currently, DD Free Dish has 64 channels including its own channels, and Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV. But with acquisition of its new technology by the end of next month, it hopes to have a capacity of carrying 112 TV channels.

    The successful regional language channels are required to deposit Rs 50 lakh (first instalment) of reserve price within one month from the placement of the TV channel on DD Free Dish along with service tax at 14.5 per cent on the total bid amount. The second instalment amounting to Rs 50 lakh has to be deposited by the successful channel in the second month from the placement of the channel. 

    The successful general DTH channel is required to deposit Rs 1.10 crore within one month from the placement of the channel on DD Free Dish along with service tax at 14.5 per cent on the total bid amount. The second instalment of Rs. 1.10 crore has to be deposited by the successful channel in the second month from the placement of the channel.

    The balance bid amount for both the regional language and general DTH channels should be deposited on or before six months from the placement of the channel on Free Dish platform failing which the deposited amount will be forfeited and channel will be discontinued from the platform after serving 21 days discontinuation notice.

  • DD invites bids to conduct e-auction of vacant slots on Free Dish

    DD invites bids to conduct e-auction of vacant slots on Free Dish

    MUMBAI: On behalf of Prasar Bharati, Doordarshan has invited technical and financial bids from interested agencies to conduct e-auction of Direct To Home (DTH) vacant slots of DD Free Dish platform. 

     

    Prasar Bharati has decided to hire an agency for providing a secured e-auctioning platform to bring more transparency in the auctioning and process and allotment of DTH vacant slots of Free Dish to private channels on annual or monthly basis, which would enable legitimate bidders to participate in auction through internet using digital certificates (DSC). No physical presence of bidders would be required at DD premises at the time of bidding.

     

    Offered e-auction platform should be envisaged not only for time saving, but bring in transparency, cost effectiveness and efficiency in allotment of vacant slots of Free Dish, which would fetch better revenue for Doordarshan. 

     

    Interested bidders are expected to submit the “Financial and Technical” bids along with an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs 1 lakh through demand draft/bankers cheque drawn in favour of “PB, BCI, DG: DD New Delhi” on any scheduled commercial bank payable at New Delhi to be enclosed with the technical bid. The last date for submission of the bids is 10 April, 2015. The opening of the financial bids will be intimated later to all technically qualified bidders.

     

    The bids will have to be submitted to  Facilitation Counter, Tower ‘A’, Doordarshan Bhawan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi 110001.

     

    The Free Dish DTH platform is being expanded by increasing the capacity from the current 64 channels to 112 channels. The expansion would provide a total of 64 MPEG-2 channels and a total of 48 MPEG- 4 channels. Therefore more slots will be available on the Dish TV platform in future for private channels and all the vacancy will be filled purely on the basis of television.

     

    The successful bidder is expected to design, structure and implement the overall process of e-auction on a simultaneous, controlled, ascending basis including the e-aspects with the approval of Prasar Bharati.

     

    Further details can be availed here