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NEW DELHI: State broadcaster Doordarshan has collaborated with chef Sanjeev Kapoor for a series of videos to promote content on DD Free Dish, its free-to-air, direct-to-home service. Kapoor whose own food channel Food Food is also part of the DD Free Dish bouquet, can be seen sharing short recipes that have been given unique names in partnership with DD, while talking about the platform in the videos.
“This collaboration is aimed at creating greater awareness on the diversity of content available on DD Free Dish with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s dedicated food channel Food Food now on our platform," Shashi Shekhar Vempati, chief executive officer, Prasar Bharti said adding that this is the first time that a dedicated food channel has come on board on the platform. “We look forward to more such innovative initiatives with our content creator partners who have contributed immensely to the growth of DD Free Dish as a platform. These unique recipes in the name of DD FreeDish are being broadcast on all our TV channels and social media platforms."
According to a recent Ficci EY media and entertainment industry report, as of February 2022, DD Free Dish hosted 164 channels including 91 Doordarshan channels, comprising 51 educational channels launched during the pandemic and 73 private channels. The Free Dish service also delivers All India Radio’s audio programming content of around 48 satellite radio channels. Four large broadcast networks, Star India, Viacom18 Media, Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony Pictures Networks India, who had pulled out their content from DD Free Dish in March 2019, made a comeback on the platform during 2020 to capitalize on advertising revenues and stayed on the service through 2021. Free television has continued to grow its base to reach an estimated 43 million subscribers on the back of less expensive television sets, economic issues, and addition of new channels to the platform.