Prasar Bharati has issued a fresh notice inviting applications for allotment of MPEG-2 slots on its free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) platform, DD Free Dish, as part of its 87th online e-auction. The slots will be assigned for the period from May 20, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
Private satellite television channels—excluding those mandated for carriage by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting—are eligible to apply. The deadline for submission of applications is May 8, 2025. The 87th e-auction tentatively will be held on May 13, following verification of eligibility documents and fees.
As per the notice, applicants must submit a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 and a refundable participation fee of Rs 1.5 crore. Eligible channels must have valid downlinking permission from the Ministry, along with genre classification and content details for the preceding and upcoming quarters.
The e-auction will be conducted in accordance with ‘E-auction Methodology’ 2025 for allotment of DD Free Dish slots to private TV channels, notified by Prasar Bharati on January 3, 2025. Only satellite channels licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would be allowed to participate in the e-auction.