Prasar Bharati opens applications for Free Dish slot auction: Price starts at Rs 2.63 cr

Prasar Bharati has invited applications from private satellite TV channels for participation in the 95th e-auction for allotment of vacant MPEG-2 slots on the DD Free Dish platform. The notice, issued on 16 January 2026, details eligibility norms, reserve prices and documentation requirements for broadcasters seeking carriage on the free-to-air DTH service.

The e-auction will be conducted in multiple rounds with varying reserve prices and bucket-wise eligibility. In the first round, the starting reserve price has been fixed at Rs 2.63 crore and all buckets are eligible to bid. In round two, the reserve price will drop to Rs 2.10 crore, with Buckets A, B, C and D eligible. The third round will have a reserve price of Rs 1.78 crore with only Buckets B, C and D allowed to participate. The fourth round will be held at a reserve price of Rs 1.33 crore, while the fifth and final round will have a reserve price of Rs 1.13 crore, for which only Bucket D channels can bid.

Prasar Bharati has also defined the composition of each category. Bucket A+ comprises Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels, while Bucket A covers Hindi and Urdu movie channels. Bucket B includes music channels in Hindi and Urdu, sports channels in Hindi and Urdu, all Bhojpuri language channels and all other genres in Hindi and Urdu except devotional, spiritual and AYUSH. Bucket C is reserved for Hindi and Urdu news and current affairs channels. Bucket D covers devotional, spiritual and AYUSH channels, all genres in regional languages listed in Schedule 8 of the Constitution except Hindi and Urdu, and English news and current affairs channels.

Applicant broadcasters must submit copies of uplinking and downlinking permissions issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, approved channel logos and proof of payment of the participation fee of Rs 1.50 crore. A non-refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 is also mandatory.

To establish genre and language classification, operational channels need to provide certification from DTH operators or MSOs, BARC classification details, or relevant records from regulatory authorities. Channels yet to launch must furnish copies of their application to the Ministry or other documents showing intent and launch timelines.

Broadcasters are required to submit programme schedules for November and December 2025 and January 2026, along with proposed schedules for February and March 2026. The notice mandates that at least 75 percent of content must conform to the declared genre and language, excluding advertisements, ensuring consistency for DD Free Dish viewers.