DD directplus will boom this year

Around 90 channels are waiting to join India’s free-to-air DTH platform, DD Direct Plus, operated by the public broadcaster Doordashan, according to a local report.

Online news site indiantelevision.com reported that 82 applicants with 90 channels between them are in the queue, despite the government not yet agreeing to up the capacity of the platform.

Even when the extra capacity gets the nod, DD Direct Plus will only be able to add another 38 channels, raising its capacity from 59 to 97. Broadcasters in line to add channels include NDTV, Zee and Star. Some have been waiting since March 2007 to join the platform.

Currently, many of the channels on the platform are Doordashan services including many regional feeds.

Commercial broadcasters include 9X, B4U Music, Zee’s Smile TV, Deutsche Welle’s DW TV and NHK World.