Zee TV blackout caused by ‘lack of technology’ to take out advertisements from foreign channels

The TV channels of India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises went off the air for a day in Bangladesh as the country does not have the technology to take out advertisements during telecast, cable operators say.

After a meeting on Wednesday, the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh or COAB says it will sit with Information Minister Hasan Mahmud to iron out the issue.

Distributors in the UK, India, and many other countries drop advertisements before transmitting foreign channels.

But the absence of the technology in Bangladesh has led to huge loss of revenue for the government and advertisement money for the local channels.

The popular Zee TV channels could not be watched after the government pulled two distributors for airing advertisements on foreign channels, which is forbidden by the Cable Television Network Operations Act.

Facing questions from reporters on the blackout of Zee channels, the information minister said the government did not stop the transmission of any TV channel, but it only enforced the law.

After Wednesday’s meeting, COAB Organising Secretary Saiful Islam spoke to bdnews24.com about the lack of the technology to cut advertisements.

“We must develop the technology first. We are in analogue system. It will be possible (to cut advertisements) once the system becomes digital,” he said.

The COAB leader also criticised the government move to enforce the law without discussions.

“Cutting off the head for headache is no solution,” he said.

Saiful said they now want to sit with the minister immediately to find out what can be done before the technology is available.

“We’ve sought time from the government in response to the show-cause notices,” he said.

He also criticised the distributors for ceasing transmission without consulting the distributors. “They must realise that we face pressure from the viewers,” he said. 

The information ministry served notices on Nationwide Media Limited and Jadoo Vision Limited asking them to explain their position on the advertisement issue on Monday.

Jadoo on Tuesday put up a notice saying they stopped telecasting Zee channels following orders from the government.

Owned by late mayor Annisul Huq’s son Navidul Huq, Jadoo is using the links of Zee TV channels from their distributor Nationwide Media.

Bengal Group’s Nationwide Media is also using links of some channels distributed by Jadoo.

Nationwide Media boss Afsar Khair Mithoo was present at Wednesday’s meeting.

“Channels were off the air several times before. I don’t understand why there is so much uproar now,” he told bdnews24.com

According to him, the distributors were eager to sit with the ministry to resolve the problems.

He said all the stakeholders, including the Association of TV Channel Owners or ATCO, should coordinate to find a way out of the crisis.

“I am not doing business to cause advertisement revenue losses,” he said.

Asked about the law, he said, “We aren’t doing it beyond the law. But it needs time to fix the problem.”

“And why they pressuring us now in 2019 over a 2004 law? Why did not they do so before?” he asked.