Minister: No foreign channels without clean feed after Sept 30

Foreign channels will not be allowed to air in the country without a clean feed policy after September 30, according to Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud.

“The channels are not transmitting clean feed even though we have urged them repeatedly to do so,” he told the media on Thursday.

His remarks came after a meeting with the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO), TV channel distributors and cable operators’ representatives at the ministry.

“We have decided we cannot let any more foreign channels air without the clean feed policy after September 30,” he said and warned of enforcing the law otherwise.

He said that cable operators often aired foreign channels with commercials, which was a violation of the law.

The clean feed policy calls for foreign channels to streamline content according to region, i.e. not air commercials meant for their region in other regions.

For example, if Indian TV channels are to be aired in Bangladesh, commercials produced by Indian channels will not be allowed to be aired here.

Mahmud also talked about digitalizing the cable networking system in Dhaka and Chittagong, saying that the analogue system would no longer be working in these cities.

“Broadcasting will be done through set-top boxes. The digital platform is ready,” he said and added that a circular would be issued regarding its implementation as consumers might be reluctant to switch to the new method.

The minister said that in addition to the divisional and metropolitan areas, the cable networking system in Kumilla, Bogura, Dinajpur, Kushtia, Rangamati and Cox’s Bazar would have to be digitalized by December 31.