TDSAT to Hear Plea Against Prasar Bharati on Feb 28

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) will hear Vision Corporation Ltd.’s petition against Prasar Bharati on February 28.

The case concerns the broadcaster's disqualification from the DD Free Dish MPEG-2 slot e-auction and the abrupt cancellation of all Bucket R1 applications midway, frustrating many broadcasters.

Several TV channels, including Popular TV and Movieplex, were disqualified without prior notice, with broadcasters informed as late as 10 PM on February 12.

The industry only learned of the disqualifications after Round 2 bidding had begun. This led to legal action from Vision Corporation Ltd., which operates House Full Movies, Multiplex, and Movie Plus.

The broadcaster's Bucket R1 application was rejected due to alleged misleading information about the channel's genre and language. Prasar Bharati claimed

Movie Plus did not meet the eligibility for a predominantly Bangla-language channel, as non-Bangla content dominated up to 19 hours of programming daily.

Vision Corporation challenged the rejection at TDSAT, arguing the decision was discriminatory and procedurally flawed.

As per the TDSAT's order on February 13, the petitioner highlighted to the respondent that they ‘may not send such requirements at the last hour as the same amounts to victimisation of bonafide bidder and we find it discriminating.’

Prasar Bharati, however, highlighted that the broadcaster did not submit the necessary video recordings to verify its content before the deadline.

TDSAT issued an interim order directing Vision Corporation to submit video recordings immediately. Prasar Bharati was instructed to review the content and assess the broadcaster’s eligibility. On February 17, Vision Corporation sought interim relief to join the bidding process, but TDSAT denied the request, stating that the auction had already ended.

"Learned senior counsel appearing for the respondent upon instructions from their client, submits that Mr. Ashok Kumar Jha, Deputy Director General, Prasar Bharati submits that the bidding process is over,” said the order from February 17.

“In view of this statement, we see no reason to grant interim relief to the effect that this appellant be permitted to participate in the ongoing bidding process,” the order added.

Vision is excluded from the current auction, but the outcome remains subject to the final verdict in B.P. No. 184 of 2024, a related broadcasting petition before TDSAT. This case is being heard alongside B.P. No. 78 of 2025 (Vision Corporation vs. Prasar Bharati). If Vision wins, Prasar Bharati may have to reconsider its decision on the broadcaster's participation.

What’s next?

The next hearing on February 28 will review Prasar Bharati’s response and decide if Vision Corporation was unfairly excluded. The outcome could impact future DD Free Dish auctions, especially regarding broadcaster disqualifications and auction transparency, setting a potential precedent for future disputes over slot allocations.