New Delhi: Prasar Bharti is all set to spread its wings by inviting applications for E-auction cycle 2022-23 of vacant MPEG-4 slots of DD Freedish. The allotment will be done for the period of one year, from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
The auction is likely to start on February 10, 2022.
Only satellite channels licensed by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting would be allowed to participate in the E-auction. Bidding in the E-auction of MPEG-4 slots will be open to all genre (language) channels at a reserve price of Rs 50 lakh/year.
Prasar Bharti’s CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati said that with the annual E-auction kicking off with MPEG4 slots, he hopes “more regional channels participate” so that the platform’s diversity increases.
DD Freedish is the free-to-air (FTA) direct to home (DTH) platform and reaches more than 40 million households in the country. The reach of MPEG-4 is estimated between 2 to 3 million and the bid amount goes as high as Rs 1.1 crore.
Currently, there are 20 channels in SD MPEG-4 and 1 HD channel in HD MPEG-4.
