Delhi, 23 July (H.S.): DD Free Dish, Prasar Bharati's free-to-air Direct-To-Home platform, covers the entire country, including remote areas. It disseminates government schemes and public campaigns through national and regional Doordarshan channels.

As of 2024, it reaches approximately 49 million households, up from 33 million in 2018, reflecting significant audience growth. The government has implemented measures to enhance the representation of South Indian language channels on DD Free Dish. In 2025, slots were reserved for these channels in e-auctions, and eligibility norms were simplified for private broadcasters in the southern region. Dedicated slots for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam channels were also introduced. Three new private South Indian channels—TV9 Telugu, Aastha Kannada, and Aastha Telugu—have been added since April 1, 2025.

Additionally, regional channels like DD Tamil and DD Malayalam have been onboarded and upgraded for better visibility. DD Free Dish also features 27 educational channels that offer programs in various South Indian languages, as reported by Dr. L. Murugan in the Lok Sabha.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar