With auctions for DD Free Dish slots for news channels kicking off earlier this month, dozens of networks are in a tight contest through auctions to reach 38 million regional viewers with Doordarshan’s free direct-to-home service. But the competition has doled out confrontation, when one channel has been perceived to have a dubious edge over others.
Since 2020, three news networks – ABP, TV9 and Network 18 – have approached the ministry of information and broadcasting against the Zee network, claiming the latter has illegally managed to put nine of its news channels – some national and others regional – on DD Free Dish without participating in auctions and paying for slots. They allege that this undermining of due process increases Zee network’s reach among millions of viewers, pushes up its TRPs, and gives it an “unfair advantage”.
