Bangladesh's advertisement market is kind of saturated market

The 11-member Media Reform Commission of the interim government has already submitted its report for the timely and effective reform of Bangladesh's media which is suffering from various multifaceted crises. Led by Kamal Ahmed, this commission has made 20 recommendations on various issues, including media ownership, income and expenditure, the advertisement market, financial security, necessary actions regarding BTV, Bangladesh Betar (radio), and BSS, as well as the freedom and protection of the press and journalists. Under these 20 recommendations, there are several sub-points where various issues have been elaborately discussed.

At the same time, the commission has also submitted a draft titled 'Bangladesh Media Commission Ordinance: 2025' to implement the recommendations. This draft ordinance is currently under consideration by the interim government. Media stakeholders are hopeful that the commission's proposals will soon gain legal standing. Rahat Minhaz, Assistant Professor of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Jagannath University, had an in-depth discussion with Media Reform Commission chief Kamal Ahmed regarding the formation, activities, obstacles, limitations, and challenges faced by this commission. The interview is being published in series by Views Bangladesh. Here is the third installment of the five-part interview.

Views Bangladesh: Your commission has presented a detailed analysis of Bangladesh's advertisement market and consequently the income of the media. A question arises here—does Bangladesh truly have an advertisement market large enough for so many TV channels? Does Bangladesh need so many television stations at all? The same question applies to newspapers as well. Is there an advertisement market sufficient to support so many newspapers? This is also applicable to FM radios and online news portals. On the other hand, there are thousands of unregistered online news outlets. What is your assessment of the advertisement market in terms of their survival?

Kamal Ahmed: Bangladesh's advertisement market is a kind of saturated market. There is no sustainable structure here that allows survival through healthy competition. This is evident even from a few statistics. Whether a media outlet gets government advertisements or not depends on whether it is on the list of registered media. In Dhaka city alone, the number of listed newspapers is over 600. From verification with the hawkers' association, we found that at most, 52 newspapers are sold in market. So why are the remaining 548 newspapers being printed? For some, it is a hobby; for others, a tool. Or newspapers are launched for other vested interests. Some have taken it as an opportunity to profit from government advertisements. When there's an ad, they publish the paper. They might print 10–20 or 100 copies, and on days when there's no ad, they don’t print at all. In this way of irregular publication, they are bagging a share of the government's resources, the state's finances. This cannot be an acceptable system. It cannot go on like this. These 548 newspapers are taking advertisement revenue which they do not deserve. They are taking it unfairly. If you had redistributed that to the 52 newspapers that have a market, have demand, then those newspapers would have become financially viable. They would have become stronger.

Views Bangladesh: What about the online news portals…

Kamal Ahmed: In Bangladesh, there are 3,500 online news portals at present. Among these 3,500 online portals, how many dozens have a newsroom? One that can be compared to a newsroom of a proper media outlet. These portals are one-man armies. Anyone can create a portal in any way. A personal blog can have a portal. But I am not willing to consider that as media. That should not be eligible for any benefits from the government as media. These matters need to be defined. That is why in our list of recommendations, we have said the qualifications of a publisher should be defined, and the eligibility of ownership should be determined. If permission is to be granted for an online news portal, then that portal must have a newsroom equivalent to that of a newspaper. If it does not have that capacity, permission should not be given for the online portal.

Views Bangladesh: And in the case of newspapers...

Kamal Ahmed: In the case of newspapers, we have said that under the provisions of the Printing Press and Publications Act of 1973, the government's policy outlines the kind of financial and other capacities required to publish an eight-page newspaper. Previously, to publish an eight-page newspaper, one had to provide a bank guarantee of Tk 2 lakh or Tk 5 lakh. In 1984, this was revised to Tk 10 lakh. Now, if you plan to publish an eight-page newspaper, even preparing to do so would not be possible with Tk 10 lakh. Salaries are another issue altogether. Therefore, we have said that a daily newspaper licence should only be granted after proving the ability to cover operational expenses for at least two years.

Views Bangladesh: Currently, in Dhaka city alone, there are over 500 newspapers, most of which are irregular. The number is even higher nationwide. Is there any way to cancel the licences of those newspapers that once obtained licences but are not using them or using them irregularly for personal benefit?

Kamal Ahmed: From the commission’s side, we are still discouraging the government from shutting down any organisation. The policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom should be maintained. Those who have the capacity can publish newspapers and run online portals. But whether it is media, whether it is news outlet, whether it is eligible to receive any government benefits or recognition — that power lies with the government, and the government must exercise it. If those eligibility conditions are not met, then they will receive no support from the state. Whether it is advertisement, income tax policy, or any government incentives — whatever the case may be — they will not receive any state sponsorship. As a result, those who publish newspapers as a hobby will naturally become inactive. The government does not need to shut them down.
(To be continued)

Interviewer: Rahat Minhaz, Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Jagannath University