Newspapers do not have permission to broadcast talk shows, videos: Info minister

Newspapers do not have permission to broadcast talk shows and videos on their online platforms as per their declarations, said Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud.

"We will take immediate action against them", said the minister during a view exchange meeting with Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO)'s Vice President Iqbal Sobhan and other directors of the association at the secretariat on Wednesday (8 June).

ATCO demanded applying the law to halt the broadcast of "talk shows" and all kinds of videos on the online platforms of newspapers.

The association also demanded stopping news broadcast on IPTVs and shutting down all unregistered IPTVs, regarding which the information minister said showing news on IPTVs is against government policy.

They also discussed about fixing a special tax in case of creating and telecasting advertisements with foreign artists, ensuring a clean feed, and introducing TRP.

He also said, "In light of previous discussions with ATCO, Bangabandhu Satellite Company will soon start the work of calculating the TRP of TV and radio channels. Legal action will be taken against anyone who is found to be broadcasting foreign channels without clean feed, operator license will be revoked if necessary. We are monitoring it from the field level and mobile court is being operated."

Regarding the special tax levied on making and broadcasting advertisements with foreign artists, Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said, "I think we did it out of a shared sense of responsibility to save both art and the artist. It will be effective from July."