The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has sought Law Ministry's opinion on Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel's proposal for setting up a channel on the lines of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV.
Officials said in the past the ministry has received requests from several state governments for allowing them to have TV channels but permission was not granted.
"This particular matter relates to setting up of a channel by a state Assembly and the ministry has decided to seek the Law Ministry's opinion in this regard," an official said.
Earlier, in a letter to I&B Ministry, Goel had sought permission to set up an exclusive channel on the lines of the two Parliament channels to telecast assembly proceedings live. The channel may also showcase other programmes of public relevance.
It was learnt that the Speaker was contemplating hiring a consultant to work out the feasibility and modalities of the television project.
Under the existing guidelines, governments are not allowed to run their own TV channels, an official said.
The two Parliament channels - Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV are allowed. Doordarshan channels are run by Prasar Bharati, an autonomous body.
The quantum of news and current affairs programme is also
proposed to be enhanced with particular emphasis on news and happenings in the subcontinent and on issues relating to the two countries.
All India Radio had started a special Bengali service in the wake of the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971 and played a historic role during the war. It continued to be very popular till April, 2010 when it was discontinued due to decommissioning of the Super Power Transmitter at Chinsurah, in West Bengal.
Akashvani Maitree channel will be launched from a state-of-the-art high power 1000 Kw DRM transmitter installed at Chinsurah in West Bengal with a capacity to cover the entire Bangladesh.
The duration of the broadcast of the channel has been increased from 6 hrs 30 minutes to 16 hrs per day.
Akashvani Maitree channel will also be available to listeners in Bangladesh, India and the Bengali diaspora world over through its multimedia website airworldservice.Org and mobile apps which will have live-streaming, text and video content.
Efforts are also being made to work out arrangements with local FM Stations in Bangladesh to relay/re-broadcast Akashvani Maitree programmes to ensure better listening in hinterland Bangladesh.
