Bangladesh Television

Not to be confused with Television in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Television
বাংলাদেশ টেলিভিশন
Type
BrandingBTV
Country
Bangladesh
First air date
25 December 1964; 59 years ago (1964-12-25)
AvailabilityNationwide
Worldwide
Founded1964
by Government of Pakistan
TV stations16 (including 14 relays)
HeadquartersRampura, Dhaka
OwnerGovernment of Bangladesh
Key people
Mahbubul Alam (director general)
Established
  • 25 December 1964; 59 years ago (1964-12-25) (as Pilot Television Dacca)
  • 25 March 1965; 59 years ago (1965-03-25) (as Pakistan Television Dacca)
  • 16 December 1971; 52 years ago (1971-12-16) (as Bangladesh Television)
Picture format
1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for SDTV sets)
Official website
www.btv.gov.bd
LanguageBengali

Bangladesh Television (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ টেলিভিশন), commonly known by its acronym BTV (Bengali: বিটিভি), is the state-owned television network of Bangladesh. The network was originally established as the East Pakistan branch of Pakistan Television in 1964. It was rebranded right after the independence of Bangladesh. BTV is the oldest Bengali-language television network in the world,[1] as well as the oldest television network in Bangladesh, and is sister to the radio broadcaster Bangladesh Betar, which, along with BTV, are both owned and operated by the government.[2][3]

Bangladesh Television is the country's only television network provided on terrestrial television.[4] It is primarily financed through television licence fees.[5] Although it has produced many award-winning programs, it has often been accused of being the mouthpiece of the government and panned for its lack of quality programming.[6] Both the headquarters and the administrative building of Bangladesh Television are located at Rampura in Dhaka.[7]

Prior to the late 1990s, Bangladesh Television was the sole television broadcaster provided in Bangladesh, and was a very successful network in terms of viewership until the launch of several satellite television channels, which led to the network's downfall and stagnation, mostly due to the fact that it was used for spewing government propaganda for a long period of time.[8][9][10] Reporters Without Borders dubbed Bangladesh Television, along with Bangladesh Betar, as a "government propaganda outlet".[11]

It operates two main television stations, BTV Dhaka and BTV Chittagong, and fourteen relay stations all over Bangladesh, along with a satellite television channel, BTV World. It is a member of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and Asiavision, and is an associate member of the European Broadcasting Union.[12][13] Bangladesh Television also plans to launch six more television channels.[1]

BTV can be received via satellite throughout Asia and parts of Europe and Africa. Bangladesh Television is also the sister network of Sangsad Television, a parliamentary television channel. BTV World is also to be converted into an independent entertainment television channel with a different schedule compared to BTV Dhaka.[14] BTV Dhaka broadcasts eighteen hours a day on terrestrial television, and twenty-four hours a day on satellite television. Its satellite feed relays BTV World's transmissions during the off-air hours of its terrestrial feed. BTV Chittagong broadcasts on a full-day basis daily.[15]

  1. ^ a b বিটিভির আরও ৬টি চ্যানেল চালু হচ্ছে: তথ্যমন্ত্রী. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 26 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Autonomy of BB and BTV". The Daily Star. 7 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  3. ^ বিটিভি-বেতারে পুরোটাই 'সরকার'. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Television of Bangladesh". Bangladesh.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  5. ^ Shaw, Rajib; Kakuchi, Suvendrini; Yamaji, Miki (2021). Media and Disaster Risk Reduction: Advances, Challenges and Potentials. Springer Nature. p. 21. ISBN 9789811602856. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Media men slam ministry for poor BTV standards". The Daily Star. 22 July 2004. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2011 – via UCLA International Institute.
  7. ^ "Offices of BTV". Bangladesh Television. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  8. ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 240". The Daily Star. 27 January 2005. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  9. ^ Chowdhury, Parvez (1 December 2011). "Television in Bangladesh". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  10. ^ Sadia Mahjabin Imam (3 October 2024). বিটিভি আগে কী দেখাত, এখন কী দেখাচ্ছে. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Bangladesh". Reporters Without Borders. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Bangladesh Television (BTV)". Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  13. ^ "BTV At a Glance". Bangladesh Television. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  14. ^ Ahsan, Sohel (3 January 2022). পূর্ণাঙ্গ বিনোদন চ্যানেল হচ্ছে বিটিভি ওয়ার্ল্ড. Jugantor (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  15. ^ বিটিভির চট্টগ্রাম কেন্দ্রের ২৪ ঘণ্টা সম্প্রচার শুরু. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.