Community radio stations namely Community Radio Borendro 99.2 of the Northern part of Bangladesh included the finalists for special Jury of the prestigious Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Prizes 2018 in the news category of radio operation from Asia-Pacific region competing with Public Service Broadcasting, Private Broadcasting, and Community Broadcasting channels.
For ABU Prizes 2018, ABU received 92 radio entries. Out of these 34 are selected as finalists by pre-selection jury. Among the finalists, 8 winners will be selected during the final judging to be held on 29-31 August in Kuala Lumpur. These 8 winners will be announced and awarded at the Gala Award ceremony on 4 October in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Liza, a ten-year-old girl of Noagaon’s Nondigram, has been working as a house made for a long one and half year. She was suffering inhumane torture at the house – through this long time. A report, describing the unending woes of Liza, was aired on Community Radio Borendro 99.2, which created a stir among the people. Law enforcers then took instant actions against the accused individuals. Many such examples put Borendro Radio 99.2 in the core of peoples’ mind within a very short time.
There are 64 youth and youth broadcasters are currently working at Community Radio Borendro 99.2 who are producing and presenting their programs and news with the active participation of local community for ensuring voices for the voiceless people.
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) actively works to improve recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio | Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the communities, it seeks to serve from 2000 with support from Free Press Unlimited, The Netherlands.
In 1964, the 1st General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), then known as the Asian Broadcasting Union, approved the establishment of an international competition for radio and TV programs titled the ‘ABU Prizes’. During the 48th General Assembly (2011), the ABU adopted a resolution empowering a working party to approve changes in the rules of the ABU Prizes in line with the ABU’s objective of promoting excellence in broadcasting.
Now 17 Community Radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and the right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether 144 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment, and development motivation activities. Around 1000 Youth Women & Youth are now working with those stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters within 6.18 million rural people in Bangladesh.
The ABU, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, has currently 272-member broadcasters large and small in 69 countries spread across the region and beyond, from Turkey in the west to Samoa in the east, and from Russia in the north to New Zealand in the south.
ABU works closely with the regional broadcasting unions in other parts of the world on matters of common concern, and with many other international organisations to exchange information on the latest developments in broadcasting, undertake activities to improve the skills and technologies of its members and encourage harmonisation of operating and technical broadcasting standards and systems in the region.
Most of the ABU’s associate members comprise European, African and North American broadcasters, many of whom have operations in Asia, and pay-TV and cable operators in the Asia-Pacific. Its affiliate members include satellite providers, telcos, production companies, equipment vendors, and regulators.
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is a proud member of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).
