Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) members stopped broadcasting foreign satellite channels without 'clean feeds', i.e. their advertisement slots filled by show sponsors and other commercial entities cater to a foreign market, early Friday morning in line with a government directive.

The sudden blackout, that affects practically every foreign channel available in Bangladesh, can be traced to a September 2nd meeting attended by the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO), TV channel distributors and cable operators’ representatives that took place at the Information Ministry, informed its minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Friday evening. The meeting was informed that foreign channels will not be allowed to air in the country without a clean feed policy after September 30.

"The channels are not transmitting clean feeds even though we have urged them repeatedly to do so," he added.

Read: Policy to regulate OTT platforms in the works: Hasan Mahmud

Contacted, SM Anwar Parvez, the founding president of COAB, said they have stopped transmitting foreign channels since Friday early morning following government directives.

Anwar Parvez said that a time was fixed by the concerned ministry till September 30. It was said that from October 1, foreign channels cannot be broadcast in Bangladesh without 'Clean Feed'.

Legally, a 'clean feed' means the broadcast runs without any advertisements from show sponsors or other commercial entities. A channel must demonstrate its 'clean feed' to authorities to be transmitted by cable operators in Bangladesh, he said.

Read: BTRC shuts 59 unregistered, illegal IPTVs

Asked what is the way forward, Anwar Parvez said due to lack of appropriate mechanism, it will not be possible to implement the ‘clean feed’ policy for the cable operators at the moment - except by taking the channels off air. "For the greater interest, government should reconsider the bar," Anwar added.

Three companies—Jado Vision Ltd, One Alliance and Media Care Ltd—are the principal distributors of foreign satellite channels in the country.

Contacted, Manager of Jado Vision Ltd Mohammad Hossain and general manager of Media Care Ltd Jahir Bhuiyan told UNB that they have already shutdown their control rooms for transmitting foreign channels obeying the government’s instructions.

Read Minister slams cable operators for stopping operation of clean feed channels

The clean feed policy calls for foreign channels to streamline content according to region, i.e. not air commercials meant for one region in another regions. For example, if an Indian channel is to be aired in Bangladesh, commercials produced for the Indian market cannot be aired here.

The solution the Information Ministry would like to force upon these channels is to have a separate broadcast feed for Bangladesh, in which the advertising slots would be filled by commercials aimed at the Bangladeshi market. The channels would have to make this call based on how much revenue they expect to raise from Bangladeshi advertisers.

Read BFUJ, DUJ support information minister's 'clean feed' initiative