Bangladesh government has instructed local advertisers to stop airing adverts in international TV station.
Citing a relevant law, the Information Ministry, also warned local distributors of international TV channels that their licenses will be suspended or invalid if they are found violating the law.
“According to Bangladesh Cable Television Network Act 2006, cable TV distributors need to get a permission and NOC [no objection certificate] to broadcast international TV channels in Bangladesh. Therefore, if any Bangladeshi TVC [television commercials] is aired in an international channel, then it would be a violation of section 11 of the act. This will render the distribution license of the international channel invalid and/or suspended, and as per section 28, the concerned violator may be handed two-year prison time,” reads a handout issued by the ministry.
A platform called the Media Unity has been campaigning against such “illegal usage” of the downlink – the transmission of a signal from a satellite to a receiving station.
According to the platform, this practice of downlink usage has been affecting the sustainability of Bangladeshi local private channels as well as the media industry in Bangladesh.
Airing the advertisement of local products on foreign channels had been hampering the revenue of the private television channels in our country, media stakeholders have been claiming.
Media Unity also speculated that money laundering is taking place in the name of advertisements.
