The Media Reform Commission has recommended merging Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar, and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) into a single entity, which could be named "Bangladesh Broadcasting Corporation" or "National Broadcasting Corporation."

As part of this integration, the commission suggested incorporating BSS as the news division of the new entity, which would consist of three main divisions -- Television, Radio, and News.

The commission head Kamal Ahmed and other members submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at state guest house Jamuna on Saturday.

Later, at a press briefing in front of Jamuna, Kamal Ahmed presented a summary of the report.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and other commission members were present, and journalists were also provided with copies of the report summary.
Currently, BTV, Bangladesh Betar, and BSS operate as separate entities. The commission noted that combining television and radio into a single organisation would allow for optimal use of resources, expertise, and creativity. Similar models exist in international broadcasters like BBC and Deutsche Welle.
The commission emphasised that this integration would be particularly effective for news and current affairs programming. It pointed out that separating audio from video formats is not a complex task, and many radio programmes are now streamed as video content on social media.

Bangladesh Betar already does this regularly through its Dhaka and regional centres. Given this reality, formalising institutional collaboration between BTV and Bangladesh Betar has become essential.
According to the commission, the newsrooms of BTV and Bangladesh Betar lack professionalism and primarily function as platforms for government bulletins, state ceremonies, and development news.
News divisions in these outlets are typically run by government information officers, and reporters who are recruited have no opportunity to work independently.
On the other hand, despite its shortcomings and inefficiencies, BSS operates a professional newsroom.
However, due to government control and political interference, BSS has failed to become a fully independent and a model news agency.
The First Press Commission had previously suggested that a state-owned news agency should not exist, as many countries around the world do not have one.
In this context, the commission believes that instead of keeping BSS as a separate entity, it should be integrated as the "News Division" of the new unified broadcasting organisation. The news produced by this central newsroom would be broadcast on both BTV and Bangladesh Betar.
The proposed organisation would have three main divisions -- Television, Radio, and News -- under the Bangladesh Broadcasting Corporation or National Broadcasting Corporation.
The News Division would continue providing services to its existing clients. Each division would be led by a director, while the unified broadcasting entity would be headed by a director general.

Additionally, the Media Reform Commission has proposed replacing both the Bangladesh Press Council and the planned Broadcast Commission with a single regulatory body -- Bangladesh Media Commission. The commission has also drafted a legal framework for establishing this new media oversight body.