Unfair deadlines, mysterious disqualifications: DD Free Dish auction faces allegations

The latest DD Free Dish MPEG-2 slot e-auction has escalated into a full-blown controversy, with several smaller broadcasters accusing Prasar Bharati of selectively disqualifying participants and questioning the timing of their removal. Many of these broadcasters are now demanding answers.

"Why did Prasar Bharati issue invitations if they had doubts about our eligibility?" asked an executive from a disqualified broadcaster. 

"If we were not fit to bid, they could have told us before the process, not midway through the auctions,” they added.

Industry insiders describe the disqualifications as arbitrary and suspicious, fuelling long-standing concerns over the lack of transparency in DD Free Dish auctions.

Adding to their grievances, several disqualified broadcasters claim they were set up to fail by being given impossible deadlines to comply with scrutiny requests.

"We received a scrutiny mail on Saturday, February 8, demanding three months' worth of content recordings by Monday morning at 11 AM," said a broadcaster who was disqualified from the R1 bucket. 

“With media offices closed over the weekend, how were we expected to meet this deadline,” they added.

The round one auctions took off on February 10, 2025. 

After submitting all required documents, these broadcasters claim they received their rejection mails on February 12 at 10 PM, leaving them no room for clarification or appeals before the auction moved forward.

“The real question is if scrutiny was still ongoing for R1 bucket applications, how could Prasar Bharati start the auction?” asked another broadcaster.

Further, raising concerns, these broadcasters allege that Prasar Bharati never sent the R1 bucket applicants the basic information about accessing the auction platform.

"Other bucket applicants received emails on February 8 informing them that they would receive their user IDs and passwords for training on February 10. Why weren’t R1 bucket applicants given the same information? Were they ever meant to participate fully in the auction,” questioned another small broadcaster requesting anonymity. 

The list of complains from smaller broadcasters is long. 

"We received formal invitations for the 7th e-auction, submitted our documents, and paid the necessary fees," said a source from a disqualified broadcaster. 

Another broadcaster, who requested anonymity, alleged that Prasar Bharati only disqualified certain players selectively. "They have a history of targeting specific channels while protecting others. The rules are changed as per their convenience.”

Industry observers argue that the timing of these disqualifications suggests deliberate targeting. Several broadcasters point out that Prasar Bharati only demanded additional documentation after bidding had begun, making it impossible for participants to comply on time.

"This isn't an auction; it's a trap," said a senior executive from a regional broadcaster. 

With Round 1 bidders eliminated, Round 2 turned into a near base-price clearance sale as broadcasters chose to wait out the process rather than engage in a bidding war.

While Round 1 saw healthy competition, in Round 2, prices plummeted, with winning bids increasing only marginally from their base price, by Rs 10-15 lakh per slot.

"Why would we bid aggressively when we knew slots would be uncontested?" said an industry insider. "Prasar Bharati made the mistake of forcing out the Round 1 players. That allowed us to get slots for much lower prices.”

As a result, Prasar Bharati suffered an estimated revenue loss of Rs 150 crore due to the lack of competition and strategic bidding by broadcasters.