NEW DELHI: The conuntry’s only free-to-air direct-to-home platform Doordarshan Freedish is holding its 31st auction on 5 October. Despite having touched a bid amount of Rs 5.2 crore in the last auction on 15 September, the new auction will have the same reserve price of Rs 4.3 crore.

A DD announcement stated that the auction is for ‘vacant DTH slot’ without indicating the number of slots, though indications are that there may be more than one vacant slot.

The slots have fallen or are falling vacant as the license period of one or more of the 80 TV channels on the platform is expiring. The announcement was clear that those channels who are already on the platform but whose licences are expiring by 31 December 2016 can participate. Others whose licenses will expire on or after 1 January 2017 are not permitted to participate.

Sources told indiantelevision.com that Freedish is being encrypted through Indian Conditional Addressable System (iCAS) to keep a tab on the number of subscribers, but it would remain free-to-air.

The e-auction will be conducted by M/s. C1 India Pvt. Ltd., Noida, which also conducted the first stage of the FM Radio Phase III auctions on behalf of Prasar Bharati.

The participation amount (EMD) in the e-auction is Rs.1.5 crore which will be deposited in advance before or by 12 noon on 5 October along with processing fee of Rs.10,000 (non-refundable) in favour of PB (BCI) Doordarshan Commercial Service, New Delhi.