Bangladesh

Broadcasting Policy:
Why and How

Shamim Ahsan Khan

Communications and Public Relations Officer
UNESCO Bangladesh
Phone: 880-2-9862073 , 880-2-9873210

and

AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR

Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and
Communication (BNNRC)
Cell: 01711881647
 Broadcast media
scenario:
 From one TV (BTV) and one Radio
(Betar) there is now 14 TV and 4
FM radios;
 Sky is opened and about a more
then hundred satellite channels are
on offer;
 More TV/Radio are on the card

2
What is
broadcasting
media?
The media that broadcast
programming through terrestrial
transmitters, cable, satellite or any
other medium including the
Internet.
For example, radio, cable TV,
satellite TV, terrestrial TV, internet
TV or radio, Community Radio
etc);
3
 Three tiers of
broadcasting:

According to regional or
international standard or model
broadcasting may be of three tier:

 Public or state-run (BTV, Betar)

 Private or commercial (ATN,
channel i, ETV)
 Community broadcasting; like
Community Radio

4
 What is
broadcasting
regulation for?
 broadcasting regulation is a legal
framework that sets out the rules
and regulation covering various
aspects of broadcasting services.

 At present there is no Broadcasting

Policy in Bangladesh

5
 Why broadcasting
has to be
regulated?
 To promote and protect culture,
heritage and values
 To ensure economic interests
(advertisement, ownership by
foreign nationals or company);
 To protect national sovereignty;
 To ensure the broadcasting media
perform social responsibility;

6
Not Demand for
Autonomy of BTV
and Betar

The purpose of a Bangladesh

Broadcasting Policy is not demand
for autonomy of BTV and Betar.
the objective is a POLICY that
covers all broadcast media

7
 Maximising good
impact and
minimising bad
impact
 Broadcasting media is the most powerful
communication means that have
tremendous impact on our everyday life
and lifestyle, our culture, behavioural
pattern, fashion, etc

 This influence may work either way --

good way or bad way -- it is essential to
ensure bad impact is minimum and good
impact maximum. Broadcasting policy is
the key to achieve that.

8
Background of
broadcasting law:
A draft developed by the Ministry of
Information in 2003. Asia Pacific Institute
for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)
and Article19 produced the existing draft.

If needed UNESCO Bangladesh along

with other civil society organisations
would be happy to provide technical
assistance for further review.

9
 Protecting freedom of
expression and
strengthening
democracy
 People's right to freedom of
expression;

 Diversity of opinions;

 People's right to know and know

different viewpoints;

10
 Freedom of
expression
subject to certain
conditions
To ensure freedom of expression is
exercised within limits necessary in
democratic societies.

Opinions aimed at inciting

violence, public disorder,
communal conflict and anarchy,
character assassination, satirizing
national values etc need to be
prevented.
11
 Airwave is public
property:
as County
Commons
People should have a say in what
are served to them as they are the
owner of the spectrum.

To ensure people's ownership

there has to be a broadcasting
policy that provides an avenue for
public

12
 Programming
content:
 should children receive special attention?
 should the ethnic or religious minority be
given special coverage?
 should there be program on
education/reproduction health?
 Contents like; Education/Information/
Entertainment and National
Development Motivation

13
Ownership of
media:
Ownership
concentration/monopoly must be
avoided to encourage media
plurality.

(Should everyone be allowed to

own a broadcasting outlet?
licensing plan may be one means
to prevent monopoly.)
14
Protect
consumers'
interest:
if someone is aggrieved there
should be a channel for conveying
it and seek remedy (National
Broadcasting Commission)

15
Too many
policies
burdensome
A comprehensive national policy that
covers all the broadcast media is the
best approach around the world

Instead of having different laws for

television, one for BTV and Betar,
another for private TV channels,
another for satellite TV channels, private
radios will complicate things. too many
laws make monitoring difficult.

16
 Implementation
of the Charter for
Change -- Vision
2021

 Din Bodolar Sonad

 MDG
 Poverty Reduction Paper (PRS)
 Development Policy by Ministries

17
Thank you

18