Golden jubilee tomorrow amid stagnation

The historic Bangladesh Betar, Chittagong centre, the glorious Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra during Liberation War, steps into its golden jubilee tomorrow, but beset with problems and decreasing number of listeners rather than being a modernised radio station.
The centre is faced with shabby premises, insufficient manpower and shortage of equipment. It is broadcasting with outdated transmitter and analogue operation system. Introduction of modern digital system seems a far cry.
In the last fifty years, the centre has not got an auditorium. So the officials are organising the golden jubilee programmes in an auditorium outside the centre. Live programmes involving audiences cannot be broadcast due to lack of this facility.
Established in 1954 at Kalurghat in the city's Agrabad as a centre of the then Radio Pakistan, it started trial run in 1962 and formal transmission on March 1, 1963. The present building of the station was built at that time, in 1954, and so were the studios.
The declaration of the country's independence came from this very transmission centre in 1971.
Sources said since 1954 the centre had not undergone any renovation work. It broadcasts through amplitude modulation (AM) at 873 kilohertz (KHz) and frequency modulation (FM) at 105.4 KHz. The 100 kilowatt transmitter of AM covers Chittagong, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
But listeners complain that they are unable to listen to programmes clearly at different upazilas for a long time. Many say they cannot listen to programmes clearly even in parts of the city. Rantisa Haider, a listener from the city's Bibirhat area, said she tried several times to listen to programmes but failed as the sound was not clear.
Aminul Islam, regional engineer of Bangladesh Betar, Chittagong, said the 100KW transmitter was installed in 1988. A transmitter can run in full swing for ten years at best, he said. “The transmitter has gone outdated and is unable to deliver quality service anymore.”
Lack of proper digital studios is another hindrance to delivering quality programmes. All the six studios are in a shabby state. There is no separate newsroom and news studio too, said the official, adding that the news room was operating with an analogue editing panel.
About digitalisation of the centre, Aminul said a powerful digital transmitter of 500KW and a digital broadcasting console were required immediately for uninterrupted services.
Acute shortage of manpower, including deputy regional directors, assistant directors, deputy regional controller of news and assistant controller, deputy regional engineers and assistant regional engineers, make it very difficult to run the station properly, said officials.
They said honorarium of artistes, news presenters and other performers were so nominal that an artiste could hardly bear the costs of conveyance with it.
Syeda Shammi Ara Chowdhury, regional director of the Chittagong centre, said she had written to the higher authority to fill the vacant posts. She said she had also written to the high-ups several times for digital equipment and an increase of honorarium of artistes.
“With all limitations, we are trying to deliver the highest quality service to the listeners.”