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New Delhi: At a time when Hindi news broadcasters are paying over Rs 8 crore for a DD Free Dish slot, the India News network got a last-minute breather from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) after facing an “off-air” order over unpaid dues.
The ministry has kept in abeyance its prohibition order against Information TV Pvt Ltd, the company behind the India News group, after a part payment of Rs 9 lakh and an undertaking to clear the balance by February 28, 2026.
In its February 13, 2026 order, MIB had imposed a 30-day prohibition on broadcast “with immediate effect” on six permitted channels of the network, citing non-payment of outstanding dues beyond prescribed timelines.
The channels named in the penalty order were Free TV India News Gujarat, Bharat Update, India News Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh, India News Punjab/Himachal/Jammu Kashmir, India News Rajasthan, and India News Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand.
The ministry’s order recorded total outstanding dues of Rs 2,31,49,000, with a channel-wise breakup of amounts linked to Annual Permission Fee-related payments, late fee charges and other heads, including obligations connected to the group’s Delhi teleport permission.
Three days later, in an order dated February 16, 2026, MIB said the prohibition order issued on February 13 has been kept in abeyance till February 28, 2026, after the broadcaster informed the ministry that it had made a part payment of Rs 9 lakh and sought time to clear the remaining dues.
Sources told BestMediaInfo.com that Rajya Sabha MP Kartik Sharma, who is associated with the India News group, moved quickly after the shutdown notice was issued.
The sources said the network deposited Rs 9 lakh immediately and got time till February 28 to pay the balance amount.
The episode puts focus back on the distribution economics of Hindi news, where broadcasters are simultaneously spending aggressively on platforms such as DD Free Dish, while also navigating compliance and dues at the policy and licensing level.