Ekushey Television


Ekushey Television is a private satellite television channel in Bangladesh. It broadcasts from Kawran Bazar, Dhaka. Ekushey Television is the first Bangladeshi private television channel to broadcast national and international news in Bangladesh. Its official transmission began on 14 April 2000.
In 2011, Ekushey became the first Bangladeshi channel to live stream all its content online to viewers around the globe, through its official website. The channel was considered the most popular TV channel in Bangladesh due to its news and other innovative programs.

History

Launched in April 2000 as the country's first private terrestrial TV channel, Ekushey Television covered half the country's population and turned out to be the most popular channel offering quality programmes.
The most notable feature of the channel was introducing a new approach to television journalism. The objective and investigative reports turned its group of young journalists into national stars.
The ETV productions were unique in nature: children's programme Muktokhabor, for instance, was a news-based show in which the child performers would handle news with social relevance. Fifty percent of the young team were from underprivileged families.
ETV played a vital role in promoting talented young artistes the result of which was so obvious—many innovative ideas and commitment produced quality programmes and the channel gained huge popularity within a short time. ETV was an organised and professional media, which was accumulated by professional, creative, talented and committed people. To ensure quality the authority trained up the behind-the-scene people as well as the artistes and performers of a programme.
To name other successful items, entertainment programmes Ekusher Dupur, Kenakata, Priyotomashu, quiz show Shobdo Jabdo, Shofol Jara Kemon Tara, informative programme Ekatturer Ei Diney, Ajker Shongbadpotro, Ei Shoptaher Biswa, talk show Amrao Boltey Chai, cookery show Radhunir Rannaghar, and of course a number of plays by gifted directors.
ETV had been leading the nation's seemingly aimless youth to a healthy and capable citizenship through its promising and unique programme roster. ETV protected the Bangladeshi viewers from the formidable influence of the satellite-culture and steered them gently to the tasteful bouquet of Bangla programmes, discarding the Hindi channels.
After being in operation for two years, on 29 August 2002, Managing Director Simon Dring and three other executives had their work permits cancelled and the station was taken off-air. However, permission for the station to continue transmission once more was granted on 14 April 2005, and only satellite transmission was resumed on 1 December 2006 on a test basis. Its official satellite transmission started 29 March 2007 and, started 24-hour transmission on 1 June. Present chairman of ETV is Mohammed Saiful Alam.

Technical info

ETV also broadcasts a dedicated band for business news everyday from 10 am to 2:30 pm during the trading hours in the Dhaka Stock Exchange with real-time updates, live discussions and breaking news, the first channel in the country to do so.
The channel has developed a reputation for providing current stock market news and incisive discussions on business related issues and is a clear leader in the business news space, setting editorial and production standards for the Bangladesh TV news market.

Current shows