The subscriber base of DD Direct Plus is an estimated 7 million, which makes it an attractive visibility platform for private channels.
But pubcaster cites capacity constraints to deny them entry
NEW DELHI: Several private TV channels are learnt to be in queue to join the direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting platform of Prasar Bharati — DD Direct Plus — but the pubcaster is citing “less transponder capacity” for refusing them entry, industry sources have said.
The subscriber base of DD Direct Plus is an estimated 7 million, which makes it an attractive visibility platform for private channels. The other two DTH platforms — Dish TV and TataSky — have a subscriber base of around 2.7 million and 1 million, respectively.
Officials of private TV channels claimed DD Direct Plus has capacity for over 75 TV channels, but currently offers only 39 channels. However, a DD Direct Plus spokesperson said the platform has capacity for just around 55 channels.
The DD Direct Plus platform has five transponders, and industry sources argued that around 15 channels can be accommodated on each transponder, thereby taking the total to 75 channels. But the DD Direct spokesperson said currently only five to six private channels can be added to the platform bouquet.
A technical team is working on enhancing the transponders’ capacity for DD Direct Plus, it is learnt. The pubcaster is expecting to offer 100 TV channels to its DTH subscribers soon.
Of the 39 channels that one gets to watch on the DTH platform of Prasar Bharati, 21 are DD channels and 18 private ones. Most of the private TV channels available on the DD Direct Plus platform are regional. In addition, it also offers radio-20 All India Radio (AIR) stations and three private FM stations.
An industry source, on conditions of anonymity, said that Prasar Bharati is arbitrary in selecting private TV channels for its DTH service. However, according to a DD Direct Plus official, any channel registered with the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry and pays a carriage fee of Rs 25 lakh a year is eligible to join the pubcaster’s DTH platform.
While the carriage fee for private channels was Rs 1 crore per year earlier, recently it was reduced to Rs 25 lakh per year, to join the DD Direct Plus platform.
“The fee was reduced despite a long queue among private broadcasters to join Prasar Bharati’s DTH platform,” said an industry insider.
The DTH market is getting crowded in India. While there are three players now - Essel group’s Dish TV, TataSky (a JV between the Tata group and Rupert Murdoch’s STAR) and DD Direct Plus - at least three more would be joining in soon.
The new DTH players would include Anil Ambani’s Reliance group, Bharti and Sun TV. Even as all others are pay TV platforms, DD Direct Plus is free-to-air for subscribers. By the year 2015, 40% of the pay TV universe (cable TV and DTH) are likely to be DTH users, significantly up from around 5% now, according to industry projections.
m_nivedita@dnaindia.net
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