Ekushey Television

Ekushey Television (Bengali: একুশে টেলিভিশন; lit. 'twenty-one', in reference to 21 February)[1] is a private satellite television channel in Bangladesh. It broadcasts from Kawran Bazar, Dhaka. Ekushey Television is the first Bangladeshi private television channel to broadcast national and international news in Bangladesh.[2] Its official transmission began on 14 April 2000.

Ekushey Television (Pvt) Ltd.
একুশে টেলিভিশন
TypeBroadcast television network
Country
Bangladesh
AvailabilityBangladesh
Sloganপরিবর্তনে অঙ্গিকারবদ্ধ (Committed to Change)
HeadquartersKawran Bazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Launch date
14 April 2000 (2000-04-14)
Picture format
4:3 16:9 SDTV HDTV
Official website
ekushey-tv.com

In 2011, Ekushey became the first Bangladeshi channel to live stream all its content online to viewers around the globe, through its official website. The channel was considered the most popular TV channel in Bangladesh due to its news and other innovative programs.[3][4]

History
The headquarters of Ekushey Television, Kawran Bazar, Dhaka.

Talks for the start of Ekushey Television began in early 1997 when Farhad Mahmud, son of A.S. Mahmud, talked with Simon Dring at a local hotel. In March of that year, ETV gained a 15-year terrestrial license. The name Ekushey was selected not just in allusion to the Bengali language movement but also to the then-upcoming 21st century. Initially the channel was scheduled to commence operation on December 16, 1999, Victory Day[5]

The channel eventually launched on April 14, 2000 as the country's first private terrestrial TV channel. Ekushey Television covered half the country's population and turned out to be the most popular channel offering quality programmes.[6] The channel ran on five transmitters in the VHF band, using Bangladesh Television's network.

The most notable feature of the channel was introducing a new approach to television journalism. The objective and investigative reports turned its group of young journalists into national stars.

The ETV productions were unique in nature: children's programme Muktokhabor, for instance, was a news-based show in which the child performers would handle news with social relevance. Fifty percent of the young team were from underprivileged families.

ETV played a vital role in promoting talented young artistes the result of which was so obvious—many innovative ideas and commitment produced quality programmes and the channel gained huge popularity within a short time. ETV was an organised and professional media, which was accumulated by professional, creative, talented and committed people. To ensure quality the authority trained up the behind-the-scene people as well as the artistes and performers of a programme.

To name other successful items, entertainment programmes Ekusher Dupur, Kenakata, Priyotomashu, quiz show Shobdo Jabdo, Shofol Jara Kemon Tara, informative programme Ekatturer Ei Diney, Ajker Shongbadpotro, Ei Shoptaher Biswa, talk show Amrao Boltey Chai, cookery show Radhunir Rannaghar, and of course a number of plays by gifted directors.

ETV had been leading the nation's seemingly aimless youth to a healthy and capable citizenship through its promising and unique programme roster. ETV protected the Bangladeshi viewers from the formidable influence of the satellite-culture and steered them gently to the tasteful bouquet of Bangla programmes, discarding the Hindi channels.

After being in operation for two years, on 29 August 2002, Managing Director Simon Dring and three other executives had their work permits cancelled and the station was taken off-air.[7][8] However, permission for the station to continue transmission once more was granted on 14 April 2005, and only satellite transmission was resumed on 1 December 2006 on a test basis. Its official satellite transmission started 29 March 2007 and, started 24-hour transmission on 1 June. Present chairman of ETV is Mohammed Saiful Alam.[9]

Technical info
  • Satellite: Bangabandhu at 105 degree E orbital location
  • Band: C Band
  • Frequency: 3787 MHz
  • Polarization: Horizontal (H)
  • F E C: 2/3
  • Symbol Rate: 4.600 MS/S

Types of broadcasting programs
  • Talk show
  • Drama
  • News
  • Children News
  • Live Concert
  • Special talk show with specialized Topic (Health, Children etc.)
  • Educational documentaries
  • Children shows
  • Exploring culture, landscapes, and history driven shows

Business programming

ETV also broadcasts a dedicated band for business news everyday from 10 am to 2:30 pm during the trading hours in the Dhaka Stock Exchange with real-time updates, live discussions and breaking news, the first channel in the country to do so.

The channel has developed a reputation for providing current stock market news and incisive discussions on business related issues and is a clear leader in the business news space, setting editorial and production standards for the Bangladesh TV news market.

Current shows
  • Media Gossip
  • Phono Live Studio Concert
  • Golpo Solpo Gaan
  • Shimanter Sultan (Bengali dubbed Turkish series Dirilis: Ertugrul)
  • Hatim
  • Tobuo Badhan
  • Atopar Ami
  • Ekushey Shongbad
  • Ekusher Raat
  • Ekusher Sondha
  • Ekusher Dupur
  • Ekusher Sokal
  • Ekusher Chokh

Former shows

See also

References
  1. Biswas, Sailendra (2000). "Samsad Bengali-English dictionary. 3rd ed". Calcutta: Sahitya Samsad. p. 969.
  2. Rahman, Anis (1 January 1970). "A Political Economy of the Emerging Television News Industry in Bangladesh | Anis Rahman - Academia.edu". Sfu.academia.edu. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  3. "Bad instance by Ekushey TV owner". Weekly Blitz. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009.
  4. Choudhury, Salah Uddin Shoaib (30 April 2010). "Shutting down private TV channels". Weekly Blitz. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010.
  5. Chowdhury, Afsan (1999). "Move over BTV". Himal Magazine.
  6. Deepita, Novera (2006). "From BTV to ETV and beyond: The television revolution". The Daily Star.
  7. Hossain, Moazzem (1 October 2002). "Bangladesh tells TV chief to leave". BBC News. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  8. Lawson-Tancred, Alastair (2 October 2002). "'Hero' journalist expelled from Bangladesh". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  9. "ETV goes on air again after over 4 years". The Daily Star. 2 December 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.