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Channel ban goes

MTV, Channel V remain off air

Staff Correspondent
The government yesterday lifted its surprise ban on 11 out of 13 satellite channels in less than 24 hours of clamping it.
The government banned the broadcast of 13 satellite channels on Sunday for their 'adverse impact of alien culture on religious and social values'.
The Ministry of Information has decided to give permission of broadcast to all but two channels -- MTV and Channel V, an official handout said last night.
Earlier, the ministry decided on suspending broad-
cast of 13 satellite channels, both pay and free-to-air ones. The channels were HBO, Star Movies, Star World, MTV, Channel V, MGM, Hallmark, AXN, RAI TV, PTP, TVE, and SNTV.
The official handout said the government reconsidered its earlier decision after reviewing the pleas by the satellite channel distributors. The distributors appealed to Information Secretary Mirza Tasadduk Hossain Beg yesterday for reconsideration of the decision, the handout added.
The sudden ban and its prompt withdrawal have made the people question the government's sagacity and motives.
Viewers wonder what prompted the government to rush headlong towards such a ban and then backtrack on it in such a short time.
The first decision came on Sunday at a five-hour joint meeting of the information ministry, different TV channels, distributors and cable operators.
Despite opposition by the representatives of two distributors -- Abul Khair Litu of M/S Nationwide Communications and Humayun Majid of M/S Translink, the meeting endorsed the resolution on ban.
Interestingly enough, the ministry ignored the rest of the stakeholders that include cable operators, television channels, including BTV, ETV, Channel-i and ATN Bangla, in changing its decision.
Meeting sources said that when the distributors disagreed with the decision on ban, the information minister took a hard line saying that the "influence of negative culture has to be checked".
Those who attended Sunday's meeting were surprised at such a 'quick change of mind'. The whole thing may be reconsidered at the
next round of talks with the ministry early next week, they said.
Despite repeated attempts last night, neither Information Minister Tariqul Islam nor the information secretary could be contacted for comments.
Cable operators said four channels -- TV6, TV4, MCM and Fashion TV -- were banned by the previous government in 2000.
"It is surprising as well as suspicious that the government changed its mind so quickly," said a member of the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB).
M/S Nationwide distributes 27 out of 30 channels, while M/S Translink distributes the rest.
An official of the Nationwide told The Daily Star yesterday that the channels the government banned on Sunday broadcast their programmes in Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Middle East as well.
Translink proprietor Humayun Majid has said the government should ban the Indian channels if it wants to insulate the people from the "negative impact of alien culture". The government should ban some BTV-aired programmes like 'Chhayachhanda'.