‘Access first, analytics later’: Why Prasar Bharati won’t make DD Freedish addressable

New Delhi: Even as private broadcasters and industry bodies renew calls for a level playing field in the distribution ecosystem, Prasar Bharati has clarified that its flagship direct-to-home platform, DD Free Dish, will remain non-addressable by design, reaffirming that the decision is central to its public service mission.

Speaking exclusively to BestMediaInfo.com, Gaurav Dwivedi, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati, said that the non-addressable nature of DD Free Dish is a policy choice, not a technical limitation. The move, he said, is guided by the government’s long-standing commitment to ensuring free and universal access to television services across India.

“Addressability is specifically kept out of the DD Free Dish system by virtue of a Cabinet decision taken way back in the early 2000s. The biggest factor in favour of keeping it non-addressable is access,” Dwivedi stated. 

He highlighted, “Whenever you make a system addressable, even at zero cost, there is a certain level of subscription, registration or friction that restricts access.” 

Dwivedi stressed that the fundamental role of a public service broadcaster is to inform, educate and entertain without creating barriers that prevent citizens, especially those in low-income and remote regions, from accessing content.

“Our job is to make every possible bit of content available to the last audience in the country. The role of the public service broadcaster is exactly the opposite of creating access barriers,” he added.

A conscious design, not a loophole

The decision to keep DD Free Dish non-addressable, Dwivedi pointed out, stems from the early vision of the government when the platform was launched as a free-to-air service in 2004. 

The Cabinet note that formed the basis of its creation explicitly stated that the system would remain open, unencrypted, and freely accessible to all viewers without registration or subscription fees.

This makes DD Free Dish distinct from private DTH and cable platforms, which operate under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and are required to adhere to content codes, uplinking/downlinking norms, and technical addressability requirements.

“Addressability brings certain commercial advantages, better targeting, data capture, subscription management, but those are not the objectives of a public broadcaster. Our role is not to monetise access, but to maximise reach,” Dwivedi said. 

He further added that the public service nature of DD Free Dish complements the private ecosystem rather than competing with it.

“If Free Dish were a hindrance, private broadcasters wouldn’t be bidding for slots in our annual auctions. The fact that they continue to do so shows that it has helped the industry grow,” he remarked.

According to FICCI-EY’s 2024 report, more than 50 million Indian households now rely on DD Free Dish, making it the largest free-to-air DTH platform in the country. 

What began as an experiment to bridge the digital divide has now become a key pillar of India’s broadcast ecosystem, ensuring that millions of viewers in rural and economically weaker sections can access national and private channels alike.

In recent years, major broadcasters, including Zee, Sony, Star, and Viacom18, have participated in Free Dish auctions, bidding aggressively for slots to reach mass audiences in the Hindi-speaking markets. Advertising agencies and FMCG brands have also acknowledged Free Dish’s unmatched reach, particularly for rural-targeted campaigns.

“Instead of distorting the market, DD Free Dish has expanded it. It created a new audience segment that wasn’t economically viable for pay-TV. That’s public service working hand in hand with private enterprise,” Dwivedi said.

The ‘addressability’ debate

Despite its scale, Free Dish has faced criticism from certain corners of the broadcast industry. The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) and private DTH operators have long argued that the non-addressable nature of the platform creates a “measurement gap” and a “competitive imbalance” in ad revenue distribution.

Advertisers, too, have raised questions about viewership traceability, given that Free Dish households are not tracked by BARC due to the absence of return-path data.

Responding to these concerns, Dwivedi said, “Measurement and regulation serve different purposes. Our focus is universal access, not commercial measurement. If the industry wants to measure Free Dish audiences, they can find ways to do so, but addressability cannot be forced into a system built on the principle of open access.”

Dwivedi acknowledged that the broadcasting ecosystem is evolving rapidly with convergence between television and digital platforms, and Prasar Bharati is actively engaging with policymakers to ensure coherence in future frameworks. 

“We are open to discussions, we are open to collaboration, but we will not compromise on accessibility. Free Dish exists for every Indian who cannot afford or does not wish to subscribe to pay-TV. That’s our purpose,” he said.

As India moves towards a more unified media policy that addresses traditional and digital platforms alike, the debate on addressability underscores the larger question of how to balance commercial innovation with public service obligations.

With FAST channels gaining traction, smart TVs becoming cheaper due to GST reforms, and advertisers seeking new reach vehicles, DD Free Dish stands as a reminder that in India’s complex broadcast landscape, accessibility remains as crucial as advancement.