Doordarshan today claimed to have earned Rs 31.2 crore (Rs 312 million) by selling five slots on its direct-to-home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish, during the e-auction.
During the 24th e-auction, which was held here yesterday, the public broadcaster said, its DTH platform has added two new channels, namely Hindi news channel 'Aaj Tak' and Hindi entertainment channel 'Big Magic'.
In a statement released here, it said three existing channels, namely India News, News24 and hindi movie channel Manoranjan TV, have extended their contract by another year.
News24 bid the highest among the five winners at Rs 6.5 crore (Rs 65 million). Manoranjan TV made the second highest bid at Rs 6.4 crore (Rs 64 million), followed by India News at Rs 6.3 crore (Rs 63 million), the statement said.
Aaj Tak and Big Magic bid Rs 6 crore each (Rs 60 million) to join the DTH platform. Both channels are pay channels, the statement added.
The new rural rating mechanism adopted by BARC has pushed channels, to take a strong-headed decision thereby expanding their reach in rural areas, the statement said, adding that DD Free Dish with an estimated 18-20 million subscribers is an effective platform to reach those markets.
"We have mopped up Rs 31.2 crore from five slots. Aaj Tak and Big Magic are new additions. They are paying Rs 6 crore each. News24, Manoranjan TV and India News have extended their contract. They are paying Rs 6.5 crore, Rs 6.4 crore and Rs 6.3 crore respectively," Doordarshan DDG CK Jain said.
