বাংলাদেশ বেতার

Regional Broadcasting Centre

Bangladesh Betar broadcasts its programmes through 11 regional stations at Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Sylhet, Thakurgaon, Rangamati, Barisal Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and Comilla relay station. These regional radio stations produce programmes in order to meet the requirements of the common audience nationally and locally.

Other Sections, Units and Cells

Programme and Planning Section

Programme and Planning cell of Bangladesh Betar is involved in policy making, strategic development and programme planning in view of achieving national goals. It coordinates with the regional centres, units and other wings to improve the quality of programmes.

1. Commercial Service Commercial Service broadcasts programmes designed primarily to earn profit from advertising revenues. Commercial advertisements, film songs and different attractive musical programmes are produced here in keeping with the objectives of Bangladesh Betar. The total broadcast hour of such programmes from all stations is 18 hours and 05 minutes daily.
   
   b.Transcription Service Transcription service is performing the role for preservation of Cultural heritage. It is functioning as the national archive of electronic media. It preserves the significant radio programmes. One of their significant functions is to preserve the speeches of the President, the Prime Minister and other important national figures in the field of politics, art and culture. It also supplies National Anthem and other programmes to the applicant as required. Here programmes are made with a view to achieve five goals: - archiving, broadcasting, distributing and participating in competition. Transcription Service collects, preserves and makes use of programme materials closely adherent to our cultural heritage. Under the newly developed system of "The Digital Archive Project" those materials are being preserved in CD-ROMs instead of tapes.
   
   c. External Services The External Service of Bangladesh Betar went on air form 1st January, 1972 to project the country’s image to the overseas audience. It broadcast programmes for the listeners in foreign countries having interest in Bangladesh and for the expatriate Bangladeshis particularly living in Europe and the Middle East. It produces programmes in six international languages e.g. Bangla, English, Urdu, Nepali, Arabic and Hindi. This unit acts as an audio ambassador of Bangladesh. In an indirect way this unit contributed in the implementation of our foreign policy with the stress on friendship, peace and mutual respect to foster understanding among the people of various regions.
   
   d. Farm Broadcast Unit Bangladesh is an agro-based country. The total development of this country still depends on the development of agriculture. The Farm Broadcasting unit of Bangladesh Betar has the objectivity to work for the rural areas related to agriculture. So the target audience of this unit is the rural people engaged in the agriculture sector of our country. This unit disseminates all sorts of information and consults on agricultural activities. The total broadcast hour of such programmes from Bangladesh Betar is 4 hours 30 minutes per day from all stations.
   
   e. Population, Health & Nutrition Cell The population, Health and Nutrition cell of Bangladesh Betar focuses on issues like resisting child-marriage, building up public opinion for getting married at a reasonable age, motivating people in favour of small family, sanitation and safe water, eradicating all forms of superstitions, ensuring proper maternal and child care to control death rate of children and pregnant women, disseminating basic facts about health and nutrition . Population, Health and Nutrition Cell are broadcasting 5 hours 55 minutes of programmes per day through all the stations.

f. Liaison and Audience Research Section Main functions of the Liaison and Audience Research sub-unit is to conduct audience research, to maintain liaison with foreign and domestic bodies on behalf of Bangladesh Betar, to help the Director General of Betar to review and give suggestion as and when required about any cultural pact signed or to be signed by our government. This sub-unit also arranges training programmes and conducts necessary formalities for training at home and abroad.

g. Traffic Broadcasting: In May 2005 Bangladesh Betar introduced Traffic Broadcasting through its FM channel for Dhaka City. Presently it broadcasts eight hours programmes daily. It consists slogan, talk, jingle, short drama, spot to aware and mobilize people on traffic related rules. One national news bulletin and fifteen news headlines are also broadcast through this channel. Recently live reporting on latest traffic situations of the city from different spot are presented by cell phone.

h. Educational Section PRSP has the vision to provide quality education at primary secondary and vocational level. The educational unit of Bangladesh Betar have taken necessary arrangements to broadcast different type of education programmes. This initiative includes 10 hours programmes per week for the students of primary, secondary, higher secondary level and for students under Open University. Bangladesh Betar is also actively involved in women education. Everyday varieties of programmes are broadcast from the ten regional broadcasting stations of Bangladesh Betar to create awareness of female education. Illiterate rural women are encouraged to non formal education by these programmes.

i. Music Section This section is involved to plan special musical programmes and to take the initiative to ensure the quality of music of Bangladesh Betar. This sub-unit is also ensuring the requirement of musical instruments for different regional stations, units and cells. Special Programmes on Socio-economic Development: Betar is a state owned organization dedicated to the well being of the mass population. To serve the people rather than making profit is the aim of this organization. Bangladesh Betar moves forward with the vision to accelerate development in every sector of the nation. Earlier the government development strategy was in the form of 5-year plan. Now under the MDG (Millennium Development Goal) of UN Bangladesh Government has already formulated PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper). PRSP of Bangladesh is a nationwide, country-owned & result oriented document. It has been prepared through broad based participatory process involving civil societies and development partners from every corner. It focuses the areas related to public interest.

a. Role of Bangladesh Betar in eradicating poverty: Betar was earlier known as the medium of entertainment, education and information. Now a days it is not only limited to these roles. Betar has become a potential tool of development . At this moment BB has 12 regional stations and 6 different units. Various entertainment and development programs are produced to aware and motivate people. In those programmes special emphasis is given towards development activities.Thus our broadcasting organisation moves towards the area of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). Role of Bangladesh Betar in development issues as well as in protecting public values is reflected in its different activities.

b. Programmes creating employment opportunities One of the main obstacles to eradicate poverty is unemployment. Betar as development media disseminates information regarding employment opportunities. Starting from the grass root level it provides message for different groups. In order to cope with the poverty alleviation strategy of the government, Bangladesh Betar provides supportive information on micro-credits. Bangladesh Betar provides the necessary advice to ensure the availability of micro-credit to the common people. Now it works with different development partners to make mass people informative regarding job opportunities.

c. Community based programs With a view to communicating directly with the mass people beyond the walls of the studios, BB arranges out door programs in different districts throughout the country. One of such community-based programme is broadcasted for the farmer community with the help of FAO. Some other community programmes include the tribal people.