DD Free Dish lists 17 regional channels for free MPEG-4 pilot slots till March 31, 2026

New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has released the list of successful channels under its 93rd allotment process for MPEG-4 slots on DD Free Dish for regional language channels, on a pilot basis up to March 31, 2026.

As per the published list, the successful channels include TV9 Kannada and Public TV (Kannada), Mazhavil Manorama (Malayalam), ABP Ananda, R. Bangla, TV9 Bangla, R Plus Gold, Kolkata TV, R Plus, Enterr 10 Bangla, and Khushboo Bangla (Bengali), Kanak News (Odia), ABP Majha and 9X Jhakaas (Marathi), ABP Asmita and Gujarat First (Gujarati), and News State Punjab-Haryana-Himachal (Punjabi).

The allotment follows Prasar Bharati’s move to open free MPEG-4 slots on DD Free Dish to improve visibility for unrepresented and under-represented regional language channels, with eligibility linked to operational history and content criteria.

In its earlier communication on the initiative, Prasar Bharati had said the pilot allotment is aimed at addressing gaps in regional representation on DD Free Dish, while prioritising eligible regional news channels and public-interest broadcasting across linguistic communities.