Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Call for Community TV in Bangladesh
Call for Community TV
by SHAFIQ RAHMAN of PROBE NEWS MAGAZINE
And now there is a demand for Community Television. Bangladesh NGO's Network for Radio and Communications (BNNRC), on May 22 this year, had submitted a letter to the Information Minister at the time, Abul Kalam Azad, calling for a community television policy.
AHM Bazlur Rahman, the executive head of BNNRC, has said that they have taken initiative to form a
consultation team in this regard. In the meantime, the 22 community radio stations now operating in the country are airing 100 hours of programmes per day. Bazlur Rahman says this indicates just how effective community television will be in the field.
He says, "People would scoff at us when we spoke of community radio, saying it would not be possible to run radio stations at a rural level for any significant length of time. But we have proved them wrong and community radio is popular and running successfully."
"Now is the time to look towards community TV," he says. "Mainstream TV is hostage to the corporate world and so there is need for television that addresses the needs and interests of the deprived, down-trodden people of the country."
He continues, "The number of TV stations in the country is not all that much considering a burgeoning
population of 150 million. And community television is very different from mainstream TV where the voice of
the rural people is lost in the clamour of national and international news. Maybe once a day they telecast district news, that too in a perfunctory manner. Community TV is needed at the grassroots."
He says that this television will not be competition for mainstream TV, but complementary. The first community television of the region was started in 2007 in Lumbini, Nepal. It was called Lumbini Television.
It telecasts programmes of development, education, health, information and entertainment. Bangladesh too can have similarly sussessful community TV stations all over the country, Bazlur Rahman says.
Developing Community Radio Programme on Budgeting Process in Bangladesh
 |  |  |
Community Radio as a platform for Raising Mass Awareness
In a partnership with Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), ANSA-SAR has started to work on Community Radio to raise Mass Awareness on Budgeting. Now a day Community Radio has become a powerful platform to reach the remote. Since Bangladesh govt. has approved and provided license to 14 initiators to install Community Radio throughout the country, till today 14 Community Radio stations has already started 91.5 hours community broadcasting on significant social issues like education, information, entertainment and development motivation. According to BNNRC there are 536 rural youth are working with the community radio stations as a rural broadcaster.
Regarding the emerging role of Community Radio in propagating social message to the community people of rural areas of Bangladesh, ANSA-SAR has stepped on the way to produce radio programmes on different aspects of Budget and budgeting process. The creative programmes have already initiated to mould the popular form of music and folk theatre to generate infotainment product for community people. The magazine program format has included issue-based songs, dramas, interviews, success stories and finally audience feedback and suggestions. The Community Radio programmes have designed to corroborate the issues as follows:
• Budget Management at local level
• Monitoring and tracking of local budget management • An overview of National budget • Relation between National and local budget • Community participation in local budgeting process
The objective of these CR programmes are to produce and broadcast programs through 14 Community Radio stations, on budgeting process so that citizens are sensitized to participate in different stages of the process.
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Initiate the process for a policy of Community Television Towards Strengthening of Right to Information in Bangladesh
Date: September 20, 2012
To
Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu, MP
Hon’ble
Minister
Ministry
of Information
Government
of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Secretariat
Dhaka-1000
Sub: Initiate
the process for a policy of Community Television
Towards
Strengthening of Right to Information in Bangladesh
Dear Sir,
Greetings
from Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
You
will be pleased to know that all 14 community radio stations of the country
(licensed under your efficient leadership) is now broadcasting 100 hours
programs in a day. The important programs presently on-air include education,
information related to life & livelihood, local entertainment and motivating
people in govt.development activities.
At
present 536 young boy and girls are working in 14 Community Radio Stations as
rural level media professionals. We are providing continuous support to them
through capacity development efforts, sectoral research & development and
other technical inputs. You would be happy to know that, after having the
training, the radio stations are in operation following the approved policy of
the govt.
Also,
we became able to know that there are 22 applicants received relevant security
clearance and are now waiting for final approval from the Ministry of
Information. We hope that a good number of new stations will soon come up by
having licenses under your dynamic leadership. This is an undeniable fact that
Ministry of Information is the forerunner for the present existence of 14
Community Radio stations and 100 broadcasting hours on our radio wave every
day.
Therefore,
to strengthen this success, we draw your attention and seek your leadership for
community television policy 2012 soon.
We
think that Community Television will also follow the policy guidelines of the
govt, as it happens in the case of community radio operations, and telecast
their programs in first 2 years through the cable operators.
You
are also aware of the recently Ministry of Planning has already declared of
Perspective Plan of Bangladesh. (2010-2012) in which 07 priority issues have been
identified. Some of those are as follows:
-
Achieving
increased Growth rate and reduce poverty through participation
- Ensuring
institutional infrastructure for achieving higher growth rate and effective
government mechanism
-
Achieving
energy security to increase development and citizens' welfare
-
Mitigate
Climate Change impacts
-
Accelerate
new innovations on the backdrop of achieving the vision of Digital Bangladesh.
We
think that Community Television can play very important role in achieving the
above priorities of the Government.
Therefore,
we draw your kind attention and leadership to formulate the Policy for
Community Television as immediate as possible.
Sincerely Yours-
AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication
CC:
1.
Secretary,
Ministry of Information
2.
Additional
Secretary- Broadcasting, Ministry of Information
3.
Director
General, Bangladesh Television
4.
Deputy
Secretary- TV
Community Radio delegation met newly appointed Information Minister
.jpg) |
| Community Radio delegation met newly appointed Information Minister |
Community Radio delegation met newly appointed Information Minister
Community Radio delegation met newly appointed Information Minister
.jpg)
A high level delegation from the Community Radio sector met the newly appointed hon’ble Minister for Ministry of Information Mr.Hasanul Haque Inu, MP at Bangladesh Secretariat on 19TH September at 12-30 P.M.
The 6 members of the delegation included: Mr.Tarekul Islam (Radio Naf), Ms.Sabrina Sharmin( Community Radio Chilmari 99.2), Mahbubul Haque(Community Radio Barendra 99.2), Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication(BNNRC) Arif Shikdar (Community Radio Bikrampur 99.2 ) and Dr. Mohammad Jahangir Alam(Krishi Radio 98.8).
During the discussion with honorable Minister, the Initiators informed him the latest situation of the sector-the achievements, the challenges, the obstacles and opportunities.
The Minister paid deep attention to their discussion and assured them to do as much as possible from him and his Ministry for the better growth of community radio sector. He also expressed his interest to visit community radio stations whenever it will be appropriate for him. The delegation handed over a welcome crest to the Minister.
Bazlu
_______________________
AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BRChief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council]
&
Head, Community Media Academy
House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 Bangladesh
Phone: , , Cell: +88 01711881647
Fax: 88-02-9138501-105,
E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrcbd
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