The government has banned foreign TV channels airing programmes with advertisements in Bangladesh and local cable TV operators have stopped feeds from such channels from Friday because their programmes contained segments of advertisements. BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera and other foreign channels have been blocked from airing programmes because only ad-free clean feed of foreign TV channels is permissible from now. The decision came as a great shock to people who watch international news, views, sports and special reports on Bangladesh on foreign channels. Blocking programmes with ads means foreign channels would stop airing their programme without ad money. With foreign channels all quiet, local TV viewers would get nothing except listening to government leaders and ruling party men on local TV about politics and such other local developments. The opposition will be totally sidelined because local TV stations air mostly government news keeping the general people in darkness. According to reports, mobile courts conducted operations to implement the ad-free broadcast on foreign TV channels.
Now one can have access to foreign TV channels only with a direct link through the Internet but their broadcast may also be scanned. Akash subscribers were able to watch foreign channels last evening but it has also taken steps to block foreign channels which don’t comply with government directives. Cable operators find it impossible to broadcast foreign channels by cutting advertisements. They need sophisticated software to comply with this requirement. So they have stopped the cable feeds to local TV networks.
Leaders of the cable operators association have opined that an immediate solution of the problem is withdrawal of the ban
The decision has, however been, welcomed by some local TV channels owned by ruling party men and in full control of the government. The information minister said the economy, the local media industry, artists and culture will benefit from clean feed of foreign channels. Here the victim is the free flow of news.The government found easy excuse to hide from the world.
The decision has, however been, welcomed by some local TV channels owned by ruling party men and in full control of the government. The information minister said the economy, the local media industry, artists and culture will benefit from clean feed of foreign channels. Here the victim is the free flow of news.The government found easy excuse to hide from the world.
We cannot believe that it would not have been possible to negotiate a settle since the government is talking about loss of money. But ‘capable’ ministers are experts in doing negative things for the country and buy praise of success abroad the bureaucratic way from greedy individuals.
Shutting down internally important channels failing to reach a sensible settlement with the cable operators should not be a matter of joy hoping to be financially better off by increased advertisement.
The government’s short-sighted policies earned no good name for the awareness and ability of our people to keep pace with modern world. Self-praise is no praise. The world sees us as a country rushing backward into ignorance of darkness.
