Prasar Bharati announces free allotment of vacant MPEG-4 slots

Only regional-language satellite TV channels—licensed by the Ministry of I&B and listed under Schedule 8 of the Constitution, excluding Hindi and Urdu—can apply

by e4m Staff
Published: Nov 28, 2025 4:46 PM | 3 min read

Prasar Bharati has opened applications for vacant MPEG-4 slots on the new MPEG-4 test streams TS#7 and TS#8 of the DD Free Dish DTH platform. These slots are being offered free of cost on a pilot basis until 31 March 2026, marking a significant opportunity for eligible regional satellite channels to expand their reach on India’s largest free-to-air platform.

Only regional-language satellite TV channels—licensed by the Ministry of I&B and listed under Schedule 8 of the Constitution, excluding Hindi and Urdu—can apply. Preference will be given to under-represented or unrepresented languages on the platform, including Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bangla, Assamese and Odia, as well as regional news channels. Applicants must hold valid I&B permission and must have been continuously available to viewers for at least the last three years in their declared genre and language.

Broadcasters desirous of allotment of slot on DD Free Dish are required to provide clear and unambiguous proof in support of Genre and Language classification of their channel. In case of lack of clarity, ambiguity or conflicting information, applications will be deemed ineligible and may be summarily rejected. For details, please refer checklist of documents provided with the application form. Such declaration for Genre and Language classification should be in accordance to the current norms. Further, the Channel shall contain content predominantly of Genre and Language as declared at the time of e-Auction application.

‘Predominantly’, as mentioned in clause 3 above, means 75 percent of content telecast on channel shall be in Genre and Language (audio), as declared by applicant Channel Provider at the time of application, excluding the limit of advertisements / promos on the channel as prescribed under rule (7) sub-rule (ii) of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 across a month.

This means that the content of declared Genre and Language of a Channel shall not be less than 60 percent of the entire content of the channel in a month.

Whenever any violation with respect to content and language declared by the channel come to notice, the recording of the content broadcast by the channel shall be reviewed by a duly constituted committee. For violation of declared genre & language by a channel, the action shall be taken based on recommendations of the committee. If the channel is found to be defaulting in the language and/or genre of content, a show cause notice shall be issued to such defaulters. Defaulter shall have an option to apply for change of genre/language, as the case may be, within a prescribed time frame, as per terms & conditions of E-auction Methodology 2025 (refer clause 5.11) /Notice Inviting Applications/ Allotment Letter / Agreement signed by the channel. In case, no request is submitted by defaulter channel for change of Genre/Language, Notice shall be issued for discontinuation of channels for violation of terms & conditions of allotment of DD Free Dish slot.

Successful bidders of any auction conducted so far for 2025-26 shall not be eligible to apply for this allotment. This allotment shall be free of cost for defined period.

This allotment shall be free of cost up to 31.03.2026 only on pilot basis.