Prasar Bharati has announced the 104th mid-year e-auction for vacant MPEG-4 slots on the DD Free Dish platform for the period from November 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The auction is aimed at allocating available slots to eligible private satellite television channels under the prescribed e-auction process.

According to a Prasar Bharati note dated October 19, 2026, the auction will be conducted under the e-auction Methodology 2025, along with amendments issued on January 9, 2026. The notice specified October 28, 2026, as the tentative auction date, while the deadline for submitting applications was October 26, 2026, at 3 pm.

The notification lays down the eligibility conditions, reserve prices, participation fees and documentation requirements for broadcasters seeking a slot on DD Free Dish. Only satellite television channels permitted and licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) are eligible to participate, subject to the conditions specified in the notice.

The e-auction divides channels into five buckets based on their genre and language. Bucket R1 covers channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, while R2 includes channels in Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and Odia. R3 covers other regional languages listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution, excluding Hindi and Urdu, that do not fall under R1 or R2. The remaining categories are G1 for news and current affairs channels and G2 for non-news and current affairs channels across genres.

For channels applying under R1, R2 and R3, the notification specifies additional conditions relating to their operational status and availability on distribution platforms. Applicants must provide supporting documents establishing the genre and language in which their channels are carried. For certain categories, certificates from DTH operators or multi-system operators (MSOs) confirming the channel’s presence and classification are mandatory.

The notice also sets out reserve prices and bid increments for the different categories. The starting reserve prices specified for the auction are Rs 34.71 lakh for G1, Rs 30.20 lakh for G2, Rs 17.89 lakh for R2, Rs 2.74 lakh for R3 and Rs 2.49 lakh for R1. The bid increment is Rs 1 lakh for G1 and G2, while it is Rs 50,000 for R1, R2 and R3.

Broadcasters are required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 through the designated DD Free Dish slots portal before submitting their applications. The notification also specifies a participation fee of Rs 3 lakh, with a provision for applicants under R1 and R3 to pay 60% of the starting reserve price or Rs 3 lakh, whichever is lower.

Applicants must submit copies of their MIB downlinking permission and, where applicable, uplinking permission, along with the approved channel logo and proof of participation fee payment. Other required documents include evidence supporting the declared genre and language, the prescribed undertaking, an authorisation letter for the person signing the bid, a duly completed Integrity Pact, and copies of the applicant company’s PAN and GST registration. Applications must be accompanied by the documents specified in the notice.

The notification also sets requirements for programme schedules. Channels already operational on the date of the notification must submit their Programme Content Schedule or Fixed Point Chart for July, August and September 2026, along with proposed schedules for November 2026, December 2026 and January 2027. Channels that were not on air on the notification date must provide the applicable documents supporting their launch plans and proposed content schedules.

Compliance with the declared genre and language is another key condition. The undertaking requires channels to carry content predominantly in their declared genre and language during the allotment period. Under the stated definition, 75 percent of the content telecast must correspond to the declared genre and language, excluding advertisements and promos within the prescribed limits, while the declared content must account for at least 60 percent of the channel’s total monthly content.

Following the auction, successful bidders will receive a Letter of Allotment, along with the payment schedule and prescribed agreement. The notification requires the agreement to be signed and submitted in two original copies within 15 days of the issuance of the allotment letter. Successful bidders must also comply with the prescribed payment and technical requirements for carrying their channels on DD Free Dish.

The notice further states that failure to meet payment obligations within the stipulated timelines may lead to forfeiture of the participation fee and instalments already deposited, along with discontinuation of the channel from the platform. Participation fees paid by unsuccessful bidders are to be refunded within three weeks of the declaration of the auction results.

The 104th e-auction forms part of Prasar Bharati’s process for allotting vacant MPEG-4 slots on DD Free Dish to eligible satellite television channels for the specified five-month period.