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Prasar Bharati opens 91st e-auction for DD Free Dish slots; bidding starts September 18
The slots will be allotted for the period from September 27, 2025, to March 31, 2026, on pro rata basis.
Prasar Bharati states that the auction will be conducted as per the E-auction Methodology of DD Free Dish Slots to Private TV Channels.
Prasar Bharati has announced the 91st e-auction for allotment of vacant MPEG-2 slots on its free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) platform, DD Free Dish platform, on a pro rata basis.
The slots will be allotted for the period from September 27, 2025, to March 31, 2026. The online e-auction process is tentatively scheduled to begin on September 18, 2025.
Th last date for submitting applications and depositing the participation fee set for September 15, 3:00 pm.
Only satellite television channels holding valid Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) permissions, as well as international public broadcasters licensed by MIB, will be eligible to bid. The auction will follow the E-auction Methodology 2025 announced earlier this year.
The pubcaster has categorised channels into buckets based on language and genre, with distinct reserve prices:
Bucket A+: Hindi/Urdu GEC channels – ₹8.30 crore
Bucket A: Hindi/Urdu Movie channels – ₹6.62 crore
Bucket B: Music, Sports, Bhojpuri and other Hindi/Urdu genres – ₹5.63 crore
Bucket C: Hindi/Urdu News and Current Affairs – ₹4.20 crore
Bucket D: Devotional/Spiritual/Ayush, Marathi, Punjabi, English News, and new/re-launched regional channels – ₹3.59 crore
Bucket R: All other regional languages except Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and Punjabi – ₹1.52 crore
If a particular regional language continues to be represented under Bucket R for three consecutive years, it will be shifted to Bucket D from the following year.
Channels must ensure that at least 75% of monthly programming matches their declared genre and language, excluding advertisements. Violations will be reviewed by a Prasar Bharati committee, and defaulters may face discontinuation of their DD Free Dish slot.
Broadcasters must apply online and submit all required documents in PDF format. A non-refundable processing fee of ₹25,000 is payable online, while a participation fee of ₹1.5 crore must be paid via demand draft or electronic transfer.
Prasar Bharati has also mandated submission of an integrity pact, authorization of an official representative, and undertakings as per prescribed formats.
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