Jump to content

Ekushey Television

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Ekushey TV)

Ekushey Television
একুশে টেলিভিশন
The headquarters of Ekushey Television in Kawran Bazar
CountryBangladesh
Broadcast areaNationwide
Worldwide (via online)
HeadquartersKawran Bazar, Dhaka
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for SDTV sets)
Ownership
Key peopleAbdus Salam (Chairman and CEO)
History
Launched14 April 2000; 24 years ago (2000-04-14) (original)
29 March 2007; 17 years ago (2007-03-29) (relaunch)
FounderA. S. Mahmud
Simon Dring
Closed29 August 2002; 22 years ago (2002-08-29) (original)
Links
Websiteekushey-tv.com

Ekushey Television (Bengali: একুশে টেলিভিশন; lit. 'twenty-one', in reference to 21 February),[1] also known by its acronym ETV, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language privately owned satellite and cable television channel. It is headquartered in Kawran Bazar, Dhaka, and is Bangladesh's first privately owned television channel to broadcast news and current affairs programming.[2]

Ekushey Television was launched on 14 April 2000 by A. S. Mahmud, with the "Poribortone Ongikarboddho" (পরিবর্তনে অঙ্গীকারবদ্ধ; lit. 'Committed to change') slogan, which is still used today,[3] as a privately owned nationwide terrestrial television network, the first of its kind in Bangladesh and the region of South Asia in general.[4][5] It quickly gained popularity around Bangladesh and became the most watched television network there. Ekushey also ended the government's monopoly on terrestrial television in the country.

Ekushey Television was later shut down in 2002 by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government after being accused of telecasting news reports biased against them and operating under an "illegal" license. After gaining a license to resume their broadcasts in 2005, Ekushey returned to the air on 29 March 2007, exclusively on satellite and cable television,[6] as they were unable to resume broadcasts on terrestrial.[7]

Notable for being one of the country's earliest privately owned television channels, Ekushey Television had once dominated the Bangladeshi television market during its existence in terrestrial television. It had also committed to bringing change to the country and its society.[4] Ekushey also broadcast worldwide, including the United Kingdom via satellite for the Bangladeshi residents there, and in several other regions such as the rest of Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian state of West Bengal.[8][9]

History

[edit]

1997–2002: Original terrestrial launch

[edit]

Plans for a privately owned terrestrial television network in Bangladesh date back to early 1997 when Farhad Mahmud, son of A.S. Mahmud, chatted with Simon Dring.[5] Although privately owned channels in Bangladesh, which were ATN Bangla and Channel i, did exist at the time, they had no rights to broadcast on terrestrial television, and only Bangladesh Television had the authority to do so. However, in 1996, the government of Bangladesh came up with plans to launch a second nationwide television network that would broadcast on both terrestrial and satellite television, with the slot being offered to privately owned broadcasters.[8]

The name 'Ekushey' was chosen because, according to Dring, it is an allusion to the Bengali language movement of 1952, which occurred on 21 February in that year, and the upcoming 21st century. In March 1999, Ekushey Television gained a fifteen-year license, allowing them to broadcast on terrestrial television. They were also allowed to use Bangladesh Television's facilities, the network's five earth stations, and share BTV's towers to broadcast.[9] Initially, the channel was scheduled to commence its operations on 16 December 1999, which was victory day.[5]

Eventually, Ekushey Television officially began transmissions on 14 April 2000, as the country's first privately owned terrestrial television network, broadcasting for twelve hours a weekday and seventeen hours on weekends.[5] It covered half the country's population, and immediately gained popularity among locals.[10] With its diverse range of programming, including news, culture, and entertainment, Ekushey Television managed to gain 40 million viewers, and claimed to be the most watched television network in Bangladesh.[9][4] It had also helped with the prevention of the massive spread of Indian television channels in the country, which was happening since the Government of Bangladesh allowed satellite television in 1992.[11]

Many of the popular television programs broadcast by Ekushey include Mukto Khabor, a news program involving young journalists, the soap opera Bandhan, and Deshjure, an infotainment program regarding the life of Bangladeshi people. Ekushey's news programming was also considered to be unbiased and reliable.[4][12] Dring had described Ekushey Television as the window to the outside world for many Bangladeshis.[13] Ekushey Television used the VHF band for broadcasting,[14][15] and also used the facilities reserved for Bangladesh Television's second terrestrial television station, which were left unused.[16]

License controversy and shutdown

[edit]

In September 2000, two Dhaka University teachers and a pro-BNP journalist filed a suit, alleging that the agreement between Ekushey Television and the government of Bangladesh was unlawful. This claim was denied by the network.[17] On 26 September 2001, Ekushey Television was ordered by the High Court of Bangladesh to temporarily halt broadcasts amid the upcoming general election, as they had ruled that the network had no proper rights to do so. Later, the Supreme Court overturned the order and Ekushey was allowed to resume broadcasting.[18][19]

In March 2002, shortly after the BNP government of Bangladesh took over, the High Court declared that the license issued to Ekushey for broadcasting was "illegal". They were also accused of "unfairly" using the facilities of Bangladesh Television, and for being biased towards the BNP and its Islamist allies, although Ekushey denied those claims and stated that their news programming was not politically aligned and was always neutral.[20][9][21] The judges gave Ekushey ten days to appeal to the Supreme Court, otherwise they would have to cease broadcasts. Supporters of the network argued that Ekushey Television's license was granted by the previous rival Awami League government, and thus became the target of the BNP-led government.[20]

On 29 August 2002, Ekushey Television was forced to cease all broadcasts at 17:00 (BST), with a formal announcement broadcast shortly before its closure, following a verdict from the Supreme Court that the license issued to the network was "illegal", after upholding the High Court's exact declaration and rejecting its appeal. The move to shut Ekushey Television down was protested by the RSF, and many people in Bangladesh gathered outside the court in solidarity with the network.[22] The general-secretary of RSF, Robert Ménard, sent a letter to information minister Tariqul Islam, saying that the closure of ETV was "a dramatic backward step for viewers in Bangladesh".[23]

After Ekushey's closure, the founder of the network, A.S. Mahmud, left Bangladesh for England with his family and later died there on 22 January 2004.[4] Thus, Bangladesh Television once again remained the only Bangladeshi television network to broadcast on terrestrial television as of today. In October 2002, the work permits of Ekushey Television's Britain-based managing director Simon Dring and three other executives were cancelled by the government, and Dring was ordered to leave Bangladesh.[13][24]

2007: Ekushey's return to the air

[edit]

On 14 April 2005, Ekushey Television, at the time under Abdus Salam's ownership, was granted a license to resume broadcasting using its previous facilities, after applying for it three months before,[25] but were only allowed to do so via satellite television.[26] They were also obliged to relay the nightly news bulletin of Bangladesh Television if they were to broadcast news programming.[27] Ekushey commenced its satellite test transmissions on 1 December the following year.[28] It officially resumed broadcasting on 29 March 2007,[12] and started full-day transmissions on 1 June. On 23 August 2007, Ekushey Television and CSB News, of which the latter ceasing operations a few days later, were warned by the military-backed government of Bangladesh to avoid airing any news or documentaries against them.[29][30]

On 24 January 2008, Ekushey Television received a fax message, telling them to cancel the telecast of the channel's two popular live talk shows. This was part of the avoidance of talk shows aired on privately owned television channels ordered by the government at the time.[31] On 6 January 2009, as Ekushey Television was caught allegedly broadcasting on terrestrial television in Chittagong illegally using a tower of BTCL, even after the government of Bangladesh ruled that no television channel would have authority to broadcast on terrestrial television other than BTV, local police shut the terrestrial transmission after the Chittagong station of Bangladesh Television filed a general diary against the network. The authorities of Ekushey, however, denied that they were broadcasting illegally on terrestrial, stating that they were testing terrestrial broadcasts.[32]

In 2011, Ekushey Television became the first Bangladeshi television channel to live stream its content worldwide via its official website. The channel was considered to be the most popular television channel in Bangladesh due to its news and other innovative programming.[33][34] On 12 March 2012, cable operators in many areas around Bangladesh have imposed a temporary blackout on Ekushey Television, along with the unrelated Banglavision, after both channels have reported on a BNP rally in detail.[35] On 13 April 2013, Deutsche Welle's Bengali language science and technology television series, Onneshon, premiered on Ekushey Television.[36]

On 5 January 2015, Ekushey Television abruptly halted transmissions without any notice in most areas around Bangladesh after airing a speech by the senior vice chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman. A sedition case was also filed as Rahman's speech was said to be "false, fabricated and instigating".[37] It was also reported that Ekushey moved away from being progressive and has been airing controversial news reports since 2010.[38] However, Ekushey's broadcasts overseas remained intact.[39] The chairman of Ekushey, Abdus Salam, was subsequently arrested in a case filed under the Pornography Act of 2012, as the network allegedly aired a false report on a girl in one of their programs, Ekusher Chokh.[40] Later, the channel resumed broadcasting in some areas, and resumed nationwide broadcasts over time.[41]

2015–2024: S. Alam era

[edit]

On 25 November 2015, a media release issued by the network that day stated that S. Alam Group of Industries had acquired Ekushey, in an auction on 8 October.[42][43][44] In observance of Eid al-Fitr in 2016, Ekushey aired ThunderCats for seven days, starting from the day of Eid.[45] In December 2016, Bangladeshi television professionals demanded Ekushey Television and three other local television channels to take dubbed foreign television series, which have gained popularity in the country, off their schedules.[46] In July 2017, Ekushey Television, along with four other television channels in Bangladesh, signed an agreement with UNICEF to air children's programming for one minute.[47]

On the morning of 26 November 2018, a fire broke out on the first few floors at the headquarters of Ekushey Television, with the estimated cost of damage being ৳260,000.[48] On 15 February 2020, Chinese drama Turbulence of the Mu Clan premiered on Ekushey Television.[49] One of the founders of the channel, Simon Dring, had died on 16 July 2021.[50] On 17 January 2022, Iranian drama series Blue Whale debuted on Ekushey Television.[51] A Bangabandhu Corner dedicated to Bangladesh's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was inaugurated at the headquarters of Ekushey on 20 June 2022.[52] On 8 July 2024, Rabiul Hasan Avi was appointed as the new managing director and CEO of Ekushey Television, replacing Pijush Bandyopadhyay as the latter.[53][54]

2024–present: Return of Abdus Salam

[edit]

Shortly after Sheikh Hasina's resignation following the non-cooperation movement on 5 August 2024, the former chairman and CEO of Ekushey Television, Abdus Salam, returned to the channel.[55]

Coverage

[edit]

Terrestrial

[edit]

Ekushey Television broadcast nationwide using VHF terrestrial signals during its first two years of existence until the network permanently ceased transmissions on terrestrial. The list below shows on which frequencies Ekushey was receivable in major areas around Bangladesh as of August 2002.[14]

Receiving city Channel no.
Dhaka VHF 6
Khulna VHF 8
Chittagong VHF 9
Natore VHF 11
Rangpur VHF 11
Sylhet VHF 11

Programming

[edit]
Main article: List of programmes broadcast by Ekushey Television

Ekushey Television is a mixed entertainment television channel, broadcasting a variety of programming. Its programming line consists of drama, news, music, television films, theatrically released films, and others. Initially broadcasting for twelve hours a weekday and seventeen hours on weekends, Ekushey broadcasts on a full-day basis. During its anniversaries, Ekushey aired documentaries regarding the history of the channel.[56] On 1 October, Ekushey Television refreshed its news schedules, as stated in a press release published a day prior, with hourly news bulletins being broadcast at zero-hour.[57][58]

Controversies

[edit]

In 2012, Ekushey Television was accused by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of broadcasting illegally without a radio equipment license and with its withheld frequency. Ekushey, however, denied the claims by stating that they have a radio equipment license and an updated frequency, and they were also regularly paying their frequency and license fees.[59] The former chairman of the channel, Abdul Salam, stated that Ekushey was being a victim of a minister's "conspiracy".[60]

On 26 January 2015, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Abdus Salam, along with two others, for allegedly laundering ৳2,670,000. Another case was filed against Salam on 2 March 2016, after an allegation that he made fraudulent documents of the satellite charge of Ekushey to swindle out ৳340,000,000.[61] Charges against him and the two others accused were finalized in March 2018.[62][63]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Biswas, Sailendra (2000). "Samsad Bengali-English dictionary. 3rd ed". Calcutta: Sahitya Samsad. p. 183. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020.
  2. ^ Rahman, Anis (2009). "A Political Economy of the Emerging Television News Industry in Bangladesh | Anis Rahman - Academia.edu". Sfu.academia.edu. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  3. ^ ২২ বছরে একুশে টেলিভিশন. Samakal (in Bengali). 14 April 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e Dring, Simon (22 January 2014). "A.S. Mahmud: A man of vision remembered". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Chowdhury, Afsan (1999). "Move over BTV". Himal Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Bangladesh's ETV resumes telecast as ban ends". Reuters. 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  7. ^ সাংস্কৃতিক বোধ বদলে দেওয়া একুশে টিভি. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  8. ^ a b Thomas, Amos Owen (15 September 2005). Imagi-Nations and Borderless Television: Media, Culture, and Politics Across Asia. SAGE Publications India. p. 78. ISBN 8132103599. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d "Private Bangladesh TV goes off air". BBC News. 29 August 2002. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  10. ^ Deepita, Novera (2006). "From BTV to ETV and beyond: The television revolution". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023.
  11. ^ Chowdhury, Parvez (1 December 2011). "Television in Bangladesh". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  12. ^ a b Quadri, Adnan (29 March 2007). "Ekushey to everyone". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  13. ^ a b Hossain, Moazzem (1 October 2002). "Bangladesh tells TV chief to leave". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Coverage". Ekushey Television. 16 August 2002. Archived from the original on 16 August 2002. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  15. ^ Chai, Teresa (30 September 2020). A Multimedia Literacy Project Toward Biblical Literacy in Bangladesh. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 69. ISBN 978-1725286160. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  16. ^ Shoesmith, Brian; Genilo, Jude William (1 September 2013). Bangladeshs Changing Mediascape: From State Control to Market Forces. Intellect Books. p. 279. ISBN 978-1783201259. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  17. ^ Pearson, Bryan (29 August 2002). "Ruling takes ETV off airwaves". Variety. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Blow for Bangladesh broadcaster". BBC News. 26 September 2001. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Reprieve for Bangladesh broadcaster". BBC News. 27 September 2001. Archived from the original on 29 December 2002. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Bangladesh TV faces possible closure". BBC News. 27 March 2002. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Bangladesh's Ekushey Television off air as of Thursday". Indian Television. 31 August 2005. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Government closes leading private television station after court withdraws licence". IFEX. 30 August 2002. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  23. ^ "Government closes leading Ekushey Television after court withdraws licence". Reporters Without Borders. 29 August 2002. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  24. ^ Lawson-Tancred, Alastair (2 October 2002). "'Hero' journalist expelled from Bangladesh". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  25. ^ "Ekushey Television re-launch faces uncertainty". BDNews24. 7 July 2005. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  26. ^ "ETV gets fresh licence". The Daily Star. 13 April 2005. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  27. ^ Roy, Ratan Kumar (28 December 2020). Television in Bangladesh: News and Audiences. Taylor & Francis. p. 40. ISBN 978-1000332742. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  28. ^ "ETV goes on air again after over 4 years". The Daily Star. 2 December 2006. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  29. ^ "Bangladesh news channel off air". BBC News. 6 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Govt asks ETV, CSB to refrain from telecasting provocative items". The Daily Star. 24 August 2007. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  31. ^ "TV channels asked to avoid live talk shows". The Daily Star. 26 January 2008. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  32. ^ "ETV caught transmitting terrestrial signals". Bdnews24.com. 7 January 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  33. ^ "Bad instance by Ekushey TV owner". Weekly Blitz. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009.
  34. ^ Choudhury, Salah Uddin Shoaib (30 April 2010). "Shutting down private TV channels". Weekly Blitz. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010.
  35. ^ বাংলাভিশন ও একুশে টিভি বন্ধ. BBC Bangla (in Bengali). 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  36. ^ "Deutsche Welle's first Bengali TV show Onneshon premieres in Bangladesh". Deutsche Welle. 16 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  37. ^ "Why obstructions on ETV programme telecast: HC". The Daily Star. 25 February 2015. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  38. ^ একুশে টিভি সম্প্রচারে থাকলেও দর্শক দেখতে পাচ্ছেন না. Samakal (in Bengali). 8 January 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  39. ^ একুশে টেলিভিশন দেখানো হচ্ছে না. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  40. ^ "ETV chairman sent to jail". Dhaka Tribune. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  41. ^ "ETV off air after airing Tarique's speech". The Daily Star. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  42. ^ নতুন মালিকানায় একুশে টেলিভিশন. BDNews24 (in Bengali). 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  43. ^ একুশে টিভির নতুন মালিক এস আলম গ্রুপ. Jago News 24 (in Bengali). 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  44. ^ "New owners again for Ekushey Television". BDNews24. 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  45. ^ শিশুদের জন্য ঈদে 'থান্ডার ক্যাটস'. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 1 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  46. ^ Malik, Shadma (18 December 2016). "TV professionals for ban on dubbed shows". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  47. ^ আরও ৫ টিভিতে শিশুদের জন্য এক মিনিট. Samakal (in Bengali). 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  48. ^ Rabbi, Arifur Rahman (26 November 2018). "Fire breaks out at ETV building in Dhaka". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  49. ^ একুশে টিভিতে ড্রামা সিরিয়াল ‘মূ’. Jugantor (in Bengali). 15 February 2020. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  50. ^ "Friend of Bangladesh Simon Dring no more". Dhaka Tribune. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  51. ^ একুশে টিভিতে শুরু হলো ইরানি সিরিয়াল 'ব্লু হোয়েল'. Jago News 24 (in Bengali). 18 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  52. ^ একুশে টেলিভিশনে ‘বঙ্গবন্ধু কর্নার’ উদ্বোধন সংস্কৃতি প্রতিমন্ত্রীর. Jago News 24 (in Bengali). 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  53. ^ একুশে টেলিভিশনের এমডি ও সিইও হলেন রবিউল হাসান অভী. BDNews24 (in Bengali). 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  54. ^ "Rabiul Hasan Avi named Ekushey TV MD, CEO". The Business Post. 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  55. ^ একুশে টেলিভিশনে ফিরে এলেন চেয়ারম্যান ও সিইও আব্দুস সালাম. Ekushey Television (in Bengali). 5 August 2024. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  56. ^ ২০ বছরে একুশে টিভি. Samakal (in Bengali). 14 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  57. ^ আজ থেকে নতুন আঙ্গিকে একুশে সংবাদ. JagoNews24 (in Bengali). 1 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  58. ^ নতুন আঙ্গিকে ও নতুন সময়ে একুশে সংবাদ. Daily Inqilab (in Bengali). 1 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  59. ^ "ETV refutes BTRC claim". The Daily Star. 13 March 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  60. ^ "ETV a 'victim of minister's plot'". BDNews24. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  61. ^ "Money laundering: ACC sues 3 including ex-ETV boss". The Daily Star. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  62. ^ Islam, Rafikul (5 March 2018). "ACC finalizes charge sheet against Ekushey TV chairman". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  63. ^ "ACC approves charges against Ekushey TV ex-chairman". The Daily Star. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ekushey_Television&oldid=1256183325"