Courtesy: livemint.com / New Delhi : The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry has decided to review the channel slot auction process of state broadcaster Doordarshan’s free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish.

The ministry has asked the broadcaster to suspend e-auctioning of slots on DD Free Dish until further notice, two people familiar with the development said. The last e-auction took place in July, in which Doordarshan (run by Prasar Bharati) had earned Rs85.10 crore and awarded 11 channel slots to private broadcasters. Another auction scheduled for August was cancelled by the broadcaster, citing “administrative reasons”.

“The ministry has not given any reason behind this sudden decision. The slots on the platform are getting vacant and private broadcasters are not able to renew those. Prasar Bharati has been refusing renewal since August,” said one of the two people cited above, on the condition of anonymity.

Doordarshan holds an e-auction once every couple of months to award vacant channel slots on DD Free Dish to private broadcasters. At present, the platform carries 80 channels, including private entertainment channels like Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Zee Anmol, Rishtey and news channels like Aaj Tak, ABP News and News 24.

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