Media

- What is the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council planning for the Azerbaijan’s air space in 2011?

- There are many plans. We have started to give license to the TV channels since 2005, but license of some TV channels expired in 2011. We will review the issue of extension of licenses. There are nearly 15 channels, including regional, cable and republican broadcasters, which license expired in the beginning of 2011. We will try to bring novelties to the Azerbaijan’s air space, at least to increase the programs containing national-spiritual values of our people. We put high hopes on the channel “Culture” and we are looking forward for the private channels also increase the educational programs. The private channels prefer entertainment programs to get high ratings. Sometimes they present European projects in low level and broadcast inappropriate programs for such country with Islamic traditions and habits like Azerbaijan. Sometimes they address topics unsuitable for the character of population. We are planning to increase the programs about the Azerbaijani people and statehood and to see presenters fluently speaking in Azerbaijani on air. We will focus attention on these issues.

- Do you expect not to extend license of some channels?

-Of course. The license is given every six years that to review the activity of those channels. If there is no infringement in the activity of the channels, of course, we will extend their licenses. If there is an infringement, if they violate procedures, the license will not be extended. According to the law, the channel with expired license should appeal for extension of its license six months before. If they don’t do that it is considered as an infringement. It means that the channel doesn’t intent to extend its license. Most of the TV and radio stations are unaware of it.

- How do you value the activity of TV channels, which licenses expired?

-Their activity is valued mostly by the public community. If they broadcast their programs until now, it means their activity was according to the law. Otherwise we would have taken measures.

- Will the Council conduct monitoring of the TV channels this year due to coverage of national-spiritual values?

- The monitoring is conducted continuously. We concern over the results of this monitoring and therefore we addressed the President of Azerbaijan to help us in this sphere. We requested to review the issue to give some authorities to the Council, as well as to solve other issue. We prepared our request according to outcomes of last year and sent it in the beginning of this year.

-Do you want to increase your authorities?

- It is sounded grandiosely. Unfortunately some persons write so in the press. Some programs caused just protest of the public community. There is a wide experience in the foreign countries to ban such programs. It is so in Turkey as well. We request to give us these authorities and to change the law, because if it is so it will be a lesson for other channels.

- What details else were described in your address to the President?

- We analyzed current situation in the Azerbaijan’s air space and focused attention on the issues concerned us.

-Some programs have been suspended on ATV recently. Did the Council have any influence on this decision?

- The Council doesn’t interfere in the creative work of the channel, but as a regulating body, the Council is not satisfied with quality of programs on private channels. We recommended many times to the channels to broadcast programs based on the national-spiritual values, to avoid elements strange for the Azerbaijani people. The population also protests such cases.

- You said that new regional channels would be opened in Azerbaijan before the parliamentary elections, but it didn’t take place…

- This issue depends not on only us. We request in our address to the President to support the regional channels as well. The advertising market in the regions is in poorer than in the capital. There should be advertising market, human resources to develop the regional channels. We have intended to open televisions in several regions, but then have changed our mind because of poor potential in the regions. We shouldn’t rush.

- When the Council will announce the winner of 103.3 frequency resource?

- We will solve this issue until January 25.

- When the TV channel “Culture” will start broadcasting?

- It will be inaugurated in February-March.

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