Welcoming the move to force ad-free or 'clean feed' broadcasting of foreign channels, Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) on Saturday urged all relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the government in implementing the decision. "The clean feed legislation is 15 years old. It should have been implemented long ago,” ATCO Senior Vice President Mozammel Haque Babu noted in a virtual press conference Saturday evening. "The balance between clean feed and digitalisation will benefit all stakeholders," said Babu, managing director of Ekattor TV. Regarding the blackout of foreign TV channels in the last few days, he said that the decision was taken by cable operators, not the government. Also read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market Cable Operators Association Of Bangladesh (COAB) have shown interest in holding dialogue with the government over the matter, Babu further informed.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists on Saturday welcomed Information Minister Hasan Mahmud's insistence on ad-free (clean-feed) broadcasting of foreign TV channels. No foreign channel has actually responded yet though by freeing up their broadcast in Bangladesh of advertisements catering to foreign markets. Instead they all simply remain off air in Bangladesh, after cable and DTH box operators fell in line with a directive from Mahmud's ministry to stop broadcast of foreign channels that do not provide a clean feed in Bangladesh. In two separate statements on Saturday, BFUJ President Mollah Jalal, Secretary General Abdul Majid and DUJ President Quddus Afrad and General Secretary Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu said the country's economy, artists, culture and media industry have been affected for a long time due to non-broadcasting of ad-free or clean feed on foreign TV channels. Read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market The country is being deprived of investment worth at least two thousand crore Tk as a result, added the journalist leaders. The financial crisis in the domestic television industry will be reduced to a great extent because of implementing clean feed, they said,. Their reasoning was not explained. The statements also said that the decision to not broadcast foreign TV channels did not come from the government but from cable operators. Thanking the information and broadcasting minister for implementing clean feed, the journalist leaders demanded announcement of a wage board for broadcast journalists.Strong steps should be taken to ensure fair salaries and job security for everyone related with the journalism profession, the statements read.

The government did not shut any foreign TV channel as Bangladesh’s sky is open, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Saturday. “The agents of foreign channels and operators have stopped broadcast as they failed to air advertisement-free programmes or clean feed. There’s no restriction on broadcasting foreign channels that are giving clean feed,” he said. The minister said this while talking to reporters at Chattogram Shilpakala Academy after attending a symposium on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday. Also read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market “Foreign TV channels have been airing progammes in Bangladesh over the years ignoring our law. Every year the country is losing around Tk 2,000 crore worth investment because of the broadcast of foreign channels with advertisements,” he said.

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.

Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) is ready to help improve the existing TV viewership measurement system in the country, making ratings more accurate, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Monday.