Voice of America announces end of its Bangla radio service

Voice of America (VOA) on 13 July announced that it is ending its radio service in Bangla that served Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura for 63 years. The FM and shortwave radio transmissions of VOA in Bangla would officially end on 17 July, according to a media release. But the service's television and social media content will expand considerably, as these platforms are more heavily used by VOA Bangla's 16 million weekly audience members. "When VOA Bangla was launched in January 1958, Bangladesh was known as 'East Pakistan' and it was a territory under martial law with no television or private radio," said John Lippman, Acting VOA Programming Director. While the service's shortwave radio audience is now less than 1%, VOA Bangla social media audiences have grown significantly in recent years. "VOA Bangla radio broadcasts brought world events to its audiences since the days when radio was the primary news medium", Acting VOA Bangla Service Chief Satarupa Barua said. She added, "It was a staple in our upbringing, a household name. We will build on that reputation, increasing our presence on media that is now far more heavily used than short wave and medium wave radio".