Five more TV stations to air children’s content for a minute every day

Five more television broadcasters have agreed to air content focused only on children for at least one minute every day during prime time.

They signed a Memorandum of Understanding or MoU with the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF on Tuesday.

Representatives of Ekattor TV, Ekushey Television, Bijoy TV, Bangla TV and Duronto Television and the UNICEF signed the MoU in the presence of Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu.

Officer-in-charge of UNICEF in Bangladesh, Sara Bordas Eddy, signed the deal on behalf of her organisation.

“The channels will now air children’s content for a minute every day free of cost. It may include news, videos, advertisements and TV scrolls,” Eddy said in her inaugural speech.

“It will raise awareness among the parents and policy makers about child rights. Children will be able to speak up for themselves.”

Samia Zaman, CEO of Ekattor TV, said: “Ekattor TV has been working for the oppressed in society. This one minute is an extension of the goal.”

Rashed Chowdhury, Head of News and Current Affairs at Ekushey TV, highlighted ‘Muktokhobor’, a children programme regularly aired by his station.

He said the 50 million children of the country must be prioritised.

“We have signed the deal for a minute but we will try to allocate more time,” said Bijoy TV Managing Director Chowdhury Mohibul Hasan.

“We need to give children the floor to state their opinions if we are to build a better world for them. We are moving ahead with that vision,” said Abhjit Chowdhury from Duronto TV which is awaiting transmission.

Chowdhury is the director at Barind Media Ltd, the parent company of the soon-to-be-aired channel.

Bangla TV Managing Director Syed Samadul Hoque echoed him.

A similar MoU was earlier signed with six Bangladeshi television channels—Bangladesh Television, Desh TV, Boishakhi Television, Somoy TV, Channel 24 and Gazi TV.