DD Free Dish All Bucket Information in details

DD Free Dish All Bucket Information in detail

Bucket Genre/language of channel Starting pro-rata
reserve

Prasar Bharati
(India’s Public Service Broadcaster)
Directorate General: Doordarshan
Doordarshan Bhawan,
Copernicus Marg: New Delhi
No. DTH/3(2)/2022/P-VII Dated: 12.03.2022
Notice
Subject: Notice inviting applications for allotment of vacant MPEG-2 slots of DD Free
Dish DTH Platform on a pro-rata basis for the period from 01.04.2022 to
31.03.2023

1. Prasar Bharati invites applications for allotment of vacant MPEG-2 slots of DD Free Dish DTH Platform on a pro-rata basis for the period from 01.04.2022 to 31.03.2023 through the 59th online e-auction process to be tentatively held on 22.03.2022.
2. The e-auction will be conducted in accordance with policy guidelines for allotment of DD Free Dish slots, notified on 15.01.2019 and as amended from time to time which is
   available on the website, http://prasarbharati.gov.in. 3. Only satellite channels licensed by the Ministry of I&B would be allowed to participate in
   the e-auction. Only companies holding valid permission from the Ministry of I&B or their
   authorized distributor partners can apply for participation in e-auction for allocation of DD
   Free Dish slot.
3. In case the applicant company is other than a licensee, the document/agreement signed
   between license Holder Company and applicant company authorizing the applicant/bidder
   for distribution of the channel and bidding on behalf of the licensee must be submitted.
4. International Public Broadcasters licensed by the Ministry of I & B can also participate in
   e-auction.
5. Categorization of TV channels in different buckets in accordance with genres/language of
   channel and their starting reserve price for the allotment period will be as below:

Bucket Genre/language of channel Starting pro-rata
reserve price/ annum
(Rs. Crore)
Bucket R1 Devotional (Spiritual/AAYUSH Channels) 20.0
Bucket A+ All GEC (Hindi) Channels 15.45
Bucket A All Movie (Hindi) Channels 13.05
Bucket B All Music (Hindi) Channels, Sports (Hindi) Channels,
GEC (Bhojpuri), Movies (Bhojpuri), and Teleshopping
(Hindi) channels
11.10
Bucket C News & Current Affairs (Hindi) Channels, News &
Current Affairs (English) and News & Current Affairs
(Punjabi) Channels
10.05
Bucket D All other remaining Genre (Language) Channels 7.05

7. The e-auction will be Bucket-wise starting with bucket having highest reserve price i.e from
   Bucket ‘R1’ and will progressively go down in the order of reserve price, as given in table
   above, subject to availability of slot.
8. Broadcasters desirous of allotment of slot on DD Free Dish are required to provide clear and
   unambiguous proof in support of genre classification of their channel. In case of lack of
   clarity, ambiguity or conflicting information, applications will be deemed ineligible and may be
   summarily rejected. For details please refer checklist of documents provided with the
   application form.
9. Satellite TV channels participating in e-auction under R1 Bucket shall be required to furnish
   an undertaking in the prescribed format as per Annexure-2A.
10. Change of name and or logo of a channel placed on DD Free Dish may be allowed subject to
    necessary permissions from the Ministry of I & B. However, no change in the genre (Language) of
    the channel, declared by the applicant at the time of bidding, will be permissible.
11. Interested broadcasters may apply online at https://fdslots.prasarbharati.org and upload all
    requisite documents as prescribed in the application. Please note that it is mandatory to pay
    the non-refundable processing fee of Rs.25,000/- online at above portal to submit the
    application. The participation fee of Rs. 1.50 Crore (Rupees one Crore fifty lakhs only) is to
    be paid only through Demand Draft. A copy of the participation fee demand draft is to be
    uploaded online.
12. Before, starting filling up of online application, please ensure that copies of all documents
    provided in ANNEXURE-1, including participation fee Demand Draft, are available with you
    in pdf format for uploading.
13. After submission of online application, the original demand draft for participation fee along
    with printout of acknowledgement for submission of online application, which will be sent
    to you on your authorized e-mail, is to be submitted in sealed cover either in person or
    by Speed/Registered Post addressed to Director (Platfroms), Room No. 601, Tower-A,
    Directorate General: Doordarshan, Doordarshan Bhawan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi110001 latest by 21.03.2022 (Monday) by 03.00 P.M.
14. Online training will be provided to all eligible participants before the commencement of
    actual e-Auction.
15. If required, Prasar Bharati can extend e-Auction to the next day or as the case may be.
16. For details like e-auction process, terms & conditions and payment schedule etc. please
    refer to policy guidelines available on the website http://prasarbharati.gov.in.
17. Prasar Bharati reserve the rights to accept/reject/cancel/amend the e-Auction/slot at any time
    during the e-Auction or after e-Auction.
18. For unsuccessful bidders, participation fee will be refunded within three weeks after the
    declaration of the results of e-auction.
19. After the successful conduct of e-auction, a Letter of Allotment will be issued by Prasar
    Bharati to the successful bidder along with the payment schedule for payment of bid amount
    and prescribed format of agreement to be signed between Prasar Bharati & bidder.
20. Every successful bidder will be required to sign an Agreement with Prasar Bharati in two
    original copies within 15 days of issue of Letter of Allotment. The prescribed format of the
    Agreement is available on the website https://prasarbharati.gov.in.

Successful channels will be placed on vacant Logical Channel Numbers (LCNs) of DD Free
Dish. After completion of e-auction, the successful channel may apply giving three options in the
order of preference for allotment of LCN. However, this does not guarantee for placement of
a successful channel on preferences given for LCN. All such requests shall be considered by
Prasar Bharati in accordance with prescribed procedure for allotment/change of
LCN to private TV channels, which is available on the website https://prasarbharati.gov.in.
Prasar Bharati’s decision in this regard shall be final.

21. Successful bidders shall be required to make payments in ten (10) monthly installments as
    per payment schedule prescribed under clause (5) of the policy guidelines for allotment of
    DD Free Dish slots which will also be part of Letter of Allotment. Each installment will be 1/10
    of difference of bid amount and participation fee.
22. In case of any instalments not paid within the scheduled dates, a notice to this effect shall be
    issued to the defaulter to deposit the payment due along with interest @ 14.5% per annum,
    as provided in clause 5.3 of policy guidelines, within seven days. Interest @ 14.5% per
    annum shall be charged from the due date of payment. The interest shall be charged for the
    entire month for a payment default of seven days or part thereof. In case the instalment due
    along with the interest is not paid within seven days from its scheduled due date, the
    Participation Fee along with any instalment already deposited by the Broadcaster/Channel till
    that date, will be forfeited and the channel will be discontinued from DD Free Dish Platform
    without any further notice and the channel will have no right to be carried on DD Free Dish
    on vacated slot.
23. Successful channel will be placed on DD Free Dish after receipt of payment for 1st
    instalment of carriage fee. In case the Channel Provider fails to place its channel on its
    allocated slot within one month of the allotment commencement date, the allotment shall
    stand cancelled automatically and the Participation Fee along with any instalment already
    deposited shall be forfeited.
24. In case the Channel Provider withdraws his channel prematurely or terminates the contract
    prematurely the Participation Fee shall be forfeited along with any instalment already
    deposited
25. Successful Channels will be required to arrange their own IRD Box in advance at DTH Earth
    Station, Todapur, New Delhi, to place their Channel on DD Free Dish Platform.
26. The Last Date for submission of applications and original Demand Draft is
    21.03.2022 (Monday) latest by 03.00 P.M.
    Inderjeet Grewal
    Director (Platforms)