TV channel marketers protest ad migration to Indian stations

Electronic Media Marketing Association (EMMA), an organisation of marketing executives of the country's television and radio stations, yesterday protested the broadcasting of Bangladeshi companies' advertisements in foreign television channels.

The association leaders, joined by journalists, media personalities, and actors, claimed that the television industry would be threatened if Bangladesh continued advertising in foreign channels.

Forming a human chain at the capital's Karwan Bazar, they placed an 11-point charter of demands including framing of an advertisement policy and threatened to organise more protest programmes.

The association leaders said local and multinational companies were choosing Indian TV channels because they could advertise with those cheaply. However, Bangladeshi TV channels do not get the priority in India as they are unofficially banned in India, they said

When contacted, Md Anisur Rahamn Tarek, general secretary of EMMA, told The Daily Star that recently 20 to 25 local companies had signed a deal with Indian TV channels for telecasting their advertisements. He said the worth of the advertisements was about Tk 30 crore.

He said local viewers preferred watching Indian TV channels as they telecast few advertisements.

However, Indian channels do not telecast the advertisements in India; they use the same slot at a time and broadcast Bangladeshi advertisements for Bangladeshi audience and other advertisements in India, he said, adding that that is why they took low charges.

Tarek said local companies paid only 5 to 7 thousand for per minute to Indian channels while the cost was Tk 20 to 25 thousand for local TV channels.

He said local companies got the scope to advertise with Indian channels as Bangladesh Bank on September 8 issued a circular allowing this.

Some multinational companies have already cut their budget for the Bangladeshi TV channels, he added.

When asked Bangladeshi TV channels could broadcast foreign advertisements, he said they did not get much from those advertisements due to absence of a policy.