Television broadcasting in India is set to change drastically when new rules from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) come into effect on 1st February 2025.
As per these guidelines, a paid TV channel will be required to convert to free-to-air (FTA) if it is on a free TV platform. Whether this rule applies only to Doordarshan Free Dish or also to internet TV (YouTube, Free OTTs) will be known later.
However, this may also lead to a change in India's largest free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish.
Understanding TRAI's new rules -
According to media reports, TRAI's new policy mandates that the status of a channel should be the same across all platforms. No pay TV channel can remain as an FTA on a free platform like DD Free Dish.
Impact of DD Free Dish -
Many TV channels are Pay TV channels on other platforms but are broadcasting as Free-to-Air TV channels on DD Free Dish.
But these new rules mean that Pay TV channels will have to convert themselves to Free-to-Air TV channels on other platforms too to come on DD Free Dish.
Now your favourite Pay TV channel can choose these routes for its Free Dish viewers. -
Your channel can go FTA -
Although popular TV channels and broadcasters can also choose to stay on DD Free Dish, they will have to convert their pay channels to FTA. This will require any TV channel to change, wherein broadcasters will have to depend only on advertising revenue.
Your channel can leave Free Dish -
Pay TV channels that prioritize their pay channel revenue will soon leave the DD Free Dish platform, and that has already started. Such as -
Sony Wah TV channel has been left from the DD Free Dish platform. There are others left like Zee Punjabi TV channel, Ishara TV, Star Gold Thrills, and News18 Uttarakhand may leave soon.
DD Free Dish has become a great platform for rural and low-income families, offering entertainment, news, and regional TV channels without the cost of a monthly subscription.
However, Prasar Bharati has also given a New Year 2025 gift to its viewers, that is, now private HD channels can also book and reserve slots for themselves on the DD Free Dish platform.
But for this, those private HD channels will also have to become free-to-air. Here you can see list of currently available HD TV channels list on DD Free dish platform.