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Somoy TV

Somoy TV (Bengali: সময় টিভি; lit. 'time TV'),[3] also known as just Somoy (Bengali: সময়; Bengali pronunciation: [ˈʃomɔe̯]) as branded on-air, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable news television channel.[4] It is based in the Nasir Trade Centre at Bir Uttam CR Dutta Road in Dhaka.[1] Somoy is primarily owned by City Group.[5]

Somoy TV
সময় টিভি
CountryBangladesh
Broadcast areaNationwide
HeadquartersBir Uttam CR Dutta Road, Dhaka[1]
Programming
Language(s)Bengali
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for SDTV sets)
Ownership
OwnerCity Group
History
Launched17 April 2011; 13 years ago (2011-04-17)
Links
Websitewww.somoynews.tv
SOMOY TV
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2015–present
GenreNews (in Bengali)
Subscribers2000[2]
Total views16,166,386,028[2]
100,000 subscribers2019
1,000,000 subscribers2019
10,000,000 subscribers2021
Last updated: 24 June 2024

The channel was launched on 17 April 2011.[6] It broadcasts using the Bangabandhu-1 satellite since 2019.[7][8] On YouTube, Somoy is the most subscribed Bangladeshi channel, being the first to receive the Diamond Play Button in 2021.[9] Several fact-checking organizations have identified Somoy TV as a significant source of misinformation within Bangladesh.[10][11]

History

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Somoy TV received government permission to broadcast in October 2009.[12] It started test transmission on 10 October 2010 and has been commercially on-air since 17 April 2011. Before its official launch, Somoy TV was sold to City Group on 8 June 2010.[13] In November 2011, Somoy TV, along with three other Bangladeshi television channels, signed an agreement with UNICEF to air children's programming for one minute.[14] My TV was available for streaming on phones through Teletalk's 3G services in October 2012.[15][16]

On 19 May 2019, Somoy TV, along with five other channels, began broadcasting via the Bangabandhu-1 satellite after signing an agreement with BSCL.[17][18] The official YouTube channel of Somoy TV was hacked by unknown hackers on 16 October 2022, subsequently being renamed to 'Ethereum 2.0', after the Ethereum cryptocurrency. The channel was reverted to its original form ten minutes after the hacking incident, but its name was not reverted until later.[19]

On 10 August 2024, it was reported that the managing director and chief executive of Somoy, Ahmed Jobaer, was relieved from his position and replaced by Shampa Rahman as the former. This decision was taken after a meeting of Somoy's Board of Directors. Jobaer later clarified that the license of Somoy was in his name and, according to regulations, he must be in charge of the main operations. He also stated that he would go to court to challenge the decision. Somoy later denied sacking Jobaer, calling the board meeting "illegal" on its web portal.[20][21][22][23]

Broadcast suspensions

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On 5 August 2024, Somoy abruptly ceased transmissions temporarily shortly after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina after being attacked and vandalized by mobs.[24][25][26] The channel later went back on the air.[27]

Justices Naima Haider Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar of the High Court Division ordered Somoy to suspend broadcasts for a week following a writ petition filed by Shampa Rahman, the managing director of the television channel.[28][29] Somoy went off the air on television at 23:59 (BST) on 19 August 2024, although it continued its operations online.[30][31] According to the petitioner's lawyer, Ahsanul Karim, Somoy TV was used as a mouthpiece of the previous AL–led government.[32] Ahmed Jobaer subsequently filed an application with the company bench of the High Court which challenged the validity of his removal. He also filed an appeal in the chamber court of the appellate division to resume the television broadcasts of Somoy.[33]

The hearing of the writ petition occurred on 25 August 2024,[34] with the order on Somoy's broadcast suspension originally being scheduled for 27 August,[35][36] but was later postponed until 1 September.[37] Meanwhile, Somoy resumed television broadcasts under new management on 26 August at 23:59 (BST).[38][39]

Controversies

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On 1 January 2014, unidentified individuals threw bombs at a vehicle owned by Somoy, injuring the driver, in Chittagong. Journalists at the network accused Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists of the attack.[40]

On 1 April 2015, the Bangladesh Police seized the broadcast equipment of Somoy outside the Gulshan office of the former prime minister and Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda Zia. The officer-in-charge of the Gulshan police station, Rafiqul Islam, stated that the device was being examined to ensure no sensitive content was contained.[41]

In May 2016, drug dealers assaulted Somoy's Cox's Bazar correspondent, Sujauddin Rubel, for his reports on drug trafficking. Four other journalists were assaulted as well.[42]

In August 2016, the Attorney General of Bangladesh, Mahbubey Alam, filed a complaint with the Bangladesh Supreme Court over remarks on a talk show broadcast on the channel that discussed the trial of the executed war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali.[43] Somoy TV was later asked to submit transcripts of the show to the court on 31 August,[44] which they did on 5 September.[45]

On 30 November 2017, a group of men from the Jubo League, led by the son of the former Minister of Land Shamsur Rahman Sherif, allegedly beaten four journalists, including a correspondent of Somoy, in Rooppur, Ishwardi, where the journalists went to report on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to the upazila in preparations of the inauguration of constructions of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.[46] Three were arrested by police afterward.[47]

In August 2023, Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted Somoy's talk shows, alleging ‘bias’.[48][49][50]

During the 2024 quota reform protests, Md. Shariatullah, a video journalist was suspended due to unprofessional behavior while covering the student protests clash.[51] The journalist was seen requesting policemen to shoot at the protesters while on duty at Jatrabari in the capital, which later garnered criticism on the internet.[52][53]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Contact Address". Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b "About SOMOY TV". YouTube.
  3. ^ Biswas, Sailendra (2000). "Samsad Bengali-English dictionary. 3rd ed". Calcutta: Sahitya Samsad. p. 985.)
  4. ^ "BTV turns to Somoy TV for Bangabhaban ceremony". bdnews24.com. 21 March 2013.
  5. ^ "High Court orders suspension of Somoy TV broadcast for seven days". Bdnews24.com. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  6. ^ সময় টিভির সম্প্রচার এক সপ্তাহ বন্ধের নির্দেশ. Bangla Tribune. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Satellite, submarine cable business may open to private sector". The Daily Star. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Local TV channels using Bangabandhu-1 satellite". The Daily Star. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  9. ^ বাংলাদেশের প্রথম ডায়মন্ড বাটন পেলো সময় টিভি. YouTube. 6 October 2021.
  10. ^ "দেশের গণমাধ্যমে ভুয়া খবরের সংখ্যা বেড়েছে ৩ গুণ". The Daily Star Bangla (in Bengali). 1 May 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Fact-checkers find no New Age report as fake". New Age (Bangladesh). Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  12. ^ Islam, Shahidul (25 November 2013). "13 TV channels await approval". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  13. ^ বিক্রি হয়ে যাচ্ছে টিভি চ্যানেলের মালিকানা. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 20 October 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  14. ^ "4 TVs to air one minute's free programme on child issues". The Daily Star. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  15. ^ "3G will free nation of digital divide: PM". BDNews24. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Teletalk handsets with 3G SIM in Feb". BDNews24. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Six TV channels ink deal to use Bangabandhu satellite". The Daily Star. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  18. ^ সব টিভি চ্যানেলের সম্প্রচার আসছে বঙ্গবন্ধু স্যাটেলাইটে. The Daily Star (in Bengali). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Somoy TV YouTube channel hacked". The Daily Star. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  20. ^ সময় টিভির এমডি বদল. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 10 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Somoy Television announces new management after political changeover". BDNews24. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Illegal attempt to remove Somoy TV's MD". Somoy. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  23. ^ বদলে গেল সময় টিভি’র ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক. Jugantor (in Bengali). 11 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  24. ^ বেসরকারি একাত্তর, সময়সহ ৫ টেলিভিশন স্টেশনে হামলা. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 5 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  25. ^ সময়-একাত্তরসহ ৫ টেলিভিশন অফিসে হামলা. Samakal (in Bengali). 5 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  26. ^ ৩ টিভি চ্যানেলে হামলা. Daily Nayadiganta (in Bengali). 5 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  27. ^ একাত্তর-এটিএনসহ ৬ টিভির সম্প্রচার বন্ধ. Dhaka Tribune (in Bengali). 6 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  28. ^ "HC orders to suspend Somoy TV broadcast for 7-day". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  29. ^ "High Court orders Somoy TV to suspend broadcast for 7 days". United News of Bangladesh. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  30. ^ মধ্যরাত থেকে বন্ধ সময় টিভির সম্প্রচার. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  31. ^ সময় টিভির সম্প্রচার বন্ধ. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  32. ^ "HC orders suspension of Somoy TV broadcast for 7 days". The Daily Star. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Appeal filed in chamber court to resume Somoy TV broadcast". Dhaka Tribune. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  34. ^ "Somoy TV suspended 'temporarily,' hearing on Sunday". BDNews24. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  35. ^ সময় টিভির সম্প্রচার বন্ধ: আপিলের আদেশ মঙ্গলবার. BDNews24 (in Bengali). 25 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  36. ^ "Order on Somoy TV broadcast suspension on Tuesday". The Daily Star. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Somoy TV broadcast: Appellate Division's order on HC stay deferred to Sept 1". The Daily Star. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  38. ^ "Somoy TV resumes broadcast". The Daily Star. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  39. ^ "Somoy TV returns under new management". The Daily Star. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  40. ^ "Somoy TV staff hurt in Ctg blast". The Daily Star. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  41. ^ "Police seize Somoy TV's equipment". The Daily Star. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  42. ^ "Yaba traders injure five journalists". The Daily Star. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  43. ^ "Supreme Court asks for footage, transcript of Somoy TV talk-show". BDNews24. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  44. ^ "SC asks for Somoy TV talk show video". The Daily Star. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  45. ^ "Somoy TV submits talk show video to SC". The Daily Star. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  46. ^ "4 journalists beaten up in Pabna". The Daily Star. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  47. ^ রূপপুরে সাংবাদিককে মারধর: গ্রেপ্তার ৩. BDNews24 (in Bengali). 1 December 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  48. ^ "BNP boycotts Somoy, Ekattor TV talk shows over 'biasness'". The Business Standard. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  49. ^ "BNP boycotts Somoy, Ekattor TV talk shows". Dhaka Tribune. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  50. ^ "BNP boycotts talk show of two private TV channels alleging 'bias'". Prothom Alo. 8 August 2023.
  51. ^ "Fresh violence in Bangladesh student protests". BBC. 31 July 2024.
  52. ^ Pelham, Lipika (31 July 2024). "Fresh violence in Bangladesh student protests". BBC News. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  53. ^ "Somoy TV's video journalist sacked". Daily Bangladesh. Retrieved 18 July 2024.

See also

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