Prasar Bharati has announced a major new initiative aimed at boosting regional language representation on DD Free Dish, unveiling a pilot scheme that will offer free MPEG-4 slots to selected regional channels till 31 March 2026.

The announcement was issued through an official press release by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on November 28, 2025.

According to the release, the scheme specifically invites popular regional language channels—licensed and permitted by the Ministry—to apply for vacant slots on the newly upgraded MPEG-4 streams. The move forms part of Prasar Bharati’s ongoing effort to improve outreach in underrepresented and unrepresented regions across the country, with a strong emphasis on promoting Schedule 8 languages (excluding Hindi and Urdu).

The broadcaster stated that channels in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bangla, Assamese and Odia will receive top priority under the scheme, especially where these languages are currently absent or minimally represented on DD Free Dish. Regional news channels will also be preferred over non-news channels, acknowledging the role of news in improving access, awareness and public service communication.

In a significant step, the selected regional channels will be allotted slots completely free of cost during the pilot period. This temporary arrangement will remain valid only till March 31, 2026, giving channels a unique opportunity to reach millions of households without any carriage fee.

DD Free Dish currently carries a vast and diverse bouquet of 482 television channels—including 320 DD co-branded educational channels such as PM eVidya and Swayam Prabha—along with 48 radio channels. Its lineup spans genres ranging from general entertainment and news to devotional content, movies and sports. With no monthly or annual subscription fee, DD Free Dish continues to be India’s largest free-to-air DTH platform, reaching nearly 65 million households, according to Chrome Data, and serving remote, rural, border and marginalised communities.

By expanding regional language presence on the platform, Prasar Bharati aims to further strengthen its mandate of public service broadcasting—ensuring equitable access to information, education and entertainment for all sections of society.