Media

Media

Roundtable â€œTelevision and radio legislationâ€ takes place in Baku

05 June 2009 10:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramil Mammadli â€“ APA. Council of Europe and National Television and Radio Council are holding roundtable â€œTelevision and radio legislationâ€ in Baku, APA reports. Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in Azerbaijan Veronika Kotek said perfect application of the above-mentioned legislation in Azerbaijan may give an impetus to some improvement in this field. She said along with the freedom of expression, some restrictions are also important in media. Kotek gave examples from the world practice. Chairman of the National Television and Radio Council Nushiravan Maharramli said the above-mentioned law was adopted in Azerbaijani parliament with some amendments and annexes.
â€œThe law on the regulation of this sphere was adopted in 2002. There was no regulative body in Azerbaijan then. Some difficulties appeared in the application of the law after the council was established. It was connected with some gaps in the law. Therefore we offered the head of state to make amendments to the law. A number of amendments were made to the law in 2008,â€ he said.
Media expert Alasgar Mammadli said he did not agree to some of the items in the law.
â€œAccording to the law, the TV channel, which violates law three times within a year, is deprived of the license. Moreover, according to the law, on purpose of punishment, the council must close the TV channel for a month. We should take into account that closing a TV channel for a month may paralyze the activity of the channel,â€ he said.
Maharramli said some restrictions in the field of television in the post-Soviet countries is understandable, because it differs from the developed Western Europe for its delicacy.
Council of Europe expert Eve Salomon said to suspend the license for a month is a very strict measure. It may have serious influence on the activity of the TV channels. Eve Salomon considers that the punishment measures should be mitigated.