Media

Satellite and cable televisions coming forward recently created difficulties for the local channels, which are stuffing its air with the non-competitive programs. A tendency of increasing of the satellite and cable televisions showed that local televisions can not meet the demands of Azerbaijani audience.

-Azerbaijani televisions got $196 627 124 advertising revenue last year

SIAR Company is researching the rating of televisions, radio and printed media in Azerbaijan. SIAR Media Research Department Director Selbin Alekperova told APA they provided 24-hour researching via 400 perimeters in the country. 177 perimeters were installed in Baku. The company doesn’t make public the rating of local televisions.
Advertising is the main rating indicator for the TV channels or programs. According to SIAR researches, last year 700 211 advertising spots were placed on the local TV channels, which brought $196 627 124 incomes. 410 759 advertising spots were placed in prime time at 16.00 – 00.00.
Most of the viewers are at 55-64 and runners-up at 35-44. Criminal programs and show-competitions are the most watched programs. TV series and satiric programs and comedies are in the second place for their rating. The education and youth programs, as well as documentary films have the lowest rating.

SIAR is researching the ratio between the local and cable televisions. According to the last year statistics, only 34 percent of viewers, who have cable television at home, watch the local TV channels. SIAR experts said even they preferred to watch the local programs on cable television. Alekperova said cable television subscribers would be increased this year because Turkish TV series were banned on the local televisions and their viewers needed in the satellite and cable televisions.

-Cable television cuts demands for satellite antennas

There are no reports on the rating researches of satellite antennas. The cable television covers only Baku and nearby territories, but satellite antennas are used in the different regions, even in remote areas of the country. The users can buy the satellite antennas everywhere in Baku. Elbrus Aliyev, satellite antenna dealer, told APA those antennas cost 45-130 AZN depending on its size and producer. The antennas are brought from Turkey, China, Korea and UAE. The antennas, receiving 20-150 channels are usually installed in one direction, but there are such large antennas which can receive 1600-2000 foreign channels under the remote-control at home. Aliyev said number of cable television subscribers was increased, but the satellite dealers didn’t loose their clients.


-Local televisions are loosing their audiences

Professor of Baku State University Journalism School Zeynal Mammadli thinks that audience of Azerbaijani television has been narrowed in recent years. “If you ask any researching company, they will tell you that audience of local televisions is reduced and most of the viewers watch the foreign TV channels now. I have to watch the local televisions because of my profession. I am regularly watching the foreign channels, particularly Turkish and Russian news channels, Euronews and American live shows. I don’t understand their languages, but I am watching only views or through the interpretation. At least 5-10 percent of my TV time is share of domestic market”.

Mammadli said it was impossible to draw concrete rating list of Azerbaijan local TV channels because there was no free advertising market in Azerbaijan. “If there is monopoly of the advertising market, it can not avoid influence on the ad market and rating researchers. Those companies face with pressure of TV channels and ruling system”. Mammadli said another problem related to the methods of rating measurement. “It needs to measure ratings of all TV channels with the same methods. Usually the ratings are measured for the advertisers that they can choose what channel is useful for their advertising spots. According to the last methods, 7000 viewers are involved in the rating researching, but in Azerbaijan opinion of only 400 people is learned and it is considered as an opinion of all population.

Of course, the percentage of correctness of these ratings will be little. Can 400 people cover religious, ethnic, zonal, generic features in the whole Azerbaijan?

How can we know which channel is watched most in Azerbaijan? Mammadli has one answer to this question: “Azerbaijan’s market is too little. That’s why, I do not answer the question “Which channel could be more popular here?”. Tastes differ. Everybody says that a channel like CNN can not be successful in Azerbaijan. But indeed they issue professional and independent news. If such a channel is applied in Azerbaijan, it will leave behind the show program with the highest rating in the country. Studies show that information channels have highest ratings in the world. Azerbaijan can not answer this question yet. How could we know which TV channel will have a splendid future, if political themes are covered less and there are no live debates?” he said.

Mammadli mentioned establishment of the first sport channel in Azerbaijan and said there are expectations that the audience will be divided and search its television.
“Sport channel will not be indicator for us, because it has been established under the state-run channel. You see even cable television has few news channels. But I think development of internet and telecommunication, fall of prices will result in television boom will begin in Azerbaijan within 5-10 years,” he said.


-Entertainment makes up 99 percent in Azerbaijani channels, while there is no enlightenment and information

Noting that the main function of television is enlightenment, information and entertainment, President of National Internet Forum Osman Gunduz told APA that entertainment made up 99 percent in Azerbaijani channels. The rest two are missing.
“TV channels broadcast more show and entertainment. Information and enlightenment are in the background. That’s why the great majority of people do not want to watch our channels buy satellite dish and watch foreign TV programs. I myself also watch foreign TV channels more,” he said.

Osman Gunduz considers that the rating of TV channels can not cover the result impartially.
“Many people watch Russian and Turkish TV programs. It should also be noted that the local channels have their audience,” he said.
Gunduz says that it may cause serious problems in future.
“First of all a citizen should get information from his information resources. A citizen should hear about the activity of his government from his sources. Our people listen more to the foreign information subjects. It causes problems with younger generation. What will happen to the citizen who is under the pressure of foreign information subjects? These are already national security issues, the government should seriously think over it. There should be a balance. The society’s interest and need is proper information, educative information, information connected with the government’s activity. It is very difficult to get it from our information subjects,” he said.

- “More serious audience with more serious programs…”

Chief of monitoring department of National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) Tavakkul Dadashov told APA that the council knows that the number of people watching satellite and cable television has recently increased.
“We are pleased that cable televisions are developing. Package of proposals, number of channels of cable television is interesting. On the other hand, this is the problem of our televisions. Our TV channels show low-quality programs. That’s why people watch cable television more,” he said.
Dadashov said local channels shows too many entertaining programs and added that the law on “National television and radio broadcasting” does not determine the exact figure concerning the percentage of show programs.
“It would be better if the percentage of show programs is regulated and does not exceed 20 percent of all programs. Television and Radio Council is trying to prevent excessive shows and frivolous behavior of participants. According to the chapter of requirements for programs, TV channels must prefer educative issues. But I can not say that there are no programs that cause to think. There are especially such programs on ITV and AzTV. AzTV and ITV are not named in our monitoring on show programs. After broadcast of TV series in foreign languages was prohibited, the channels try to fill their places with show programs,” he said.

Dadashov said speaking of rating the channels mean advertisement.
“When we advise them to broadcast serious programs, they say they do not bring advertisement. We understand them, as they are commercial structures. But it does not mean that the broadcast must be commercialized. We call them to gather more serious audience with more serious programs,” he said.

Tavakkul Dadashov says in future in order to learn separate tendencies of televisions the people will be polled.
“Turkish Radio and Television Corporation conducts various polls and studies the rating of TV channels. It can give message to the channels as to what kind of programs to broadcast. But now we have more urgent problems. We can consider this issue after solving them,” he said.

-Cable television are not interested in publicizing the exact number of their spectators

12 cable televisions have got licenses in the country, but only 4-5 of them really operate. Cable televisions give information about the number of channels, tariffs, but are not interested in publicizing the number of their spectators. The first cable television in Azerbaijan B&B TV told APA that the company did not publicize such information. But the company said contracts are signed with 30-50 subscribers every day. So, we can say that B&B TV has 73,000 spectators. B&B TV consisting of 113 channels offers 4 packages.

Monthly subscription fee for 66-Channel cable TV is AZN 7, AZN 17 for 88-Channel cable TV, AZN 27 for 111-Channel cable TV, AZN 10 for special two channels. “B&B” TV Channel covers several areas of Baku, as well as Novkhani, Bakikhanov, Mardakan, Mushgif, Sulutepe.
“Aile TV” functioning for three years told APA that the TV Channel cover 8 local Channels and 54 popular TV Channels. The website if TV Channel reports that its cable network covered 1000 buildings of the capital, i.e 100.000 flats. The TV Channel intends to cover whole the capital this year. They plan to increase advertisements and Channels and provide people with high-speed net.
The activest “KaTV” cable TV channel told APA that it covers 60 Channels. Two of them are coded Channels. Participation fee is AZN 6, monthly subscription fee is AZN 9. If the subscriber wants to join 2-3 TVs to cable network, monthly subscription fee will be AZN 2 for these TVs. The cable TV airs in Baku, Absheron, Sumgayit. The cable TV declined to calculate exact numbers of subscribers.


Cable network will serve for people in Baku and other big cities of the country during two years.
Nushiravan Maharramli, Chairman of National Television and Radio Council told APA that important measures were taken to provide the people with cable network and stated that people had been provided with cable network in several districts of Baku.
“Level of service of “KaTV” is estimable. Over 90% of people have joined cable network in Khatai, Yasamal, Binagadi, Narimanov districts,” he said. The Chairman said that the people will be served via cable network in Baku during two years.
“We will witness development of cable network in Ganja, Mingachevir, Sumgayit and other big cities of the country soon,” he said.
As regards numbers of subscribers of cable TVs, Maharramli said that it was difficult to say an exact number, because the numbers change everyday. .
“Many people use cable network. Over 50.000 people use the service of cable TVs in Baku according to my calculation,” he said. Maharramli is satisfied with tariffs in cable TVs.
“Majority of them demands monthly subscription fee worth AZN 9. This is a normal price,” he said.
Maharramli considers falling of rating of local TV Channels in comparison with cable TVs normally.
“People should have rights on choice. Local TV Channels should increase quality of programs for the purpose of winning interest of people. Local TV Channels should not be satisfied with retranslation of foreign films. The more they will be engaged in this issue, the more people will watch foreign Channels. One of the main issues of TV Channels is to produce their programs. Here includes feature, documentary, TV films, as well as authorized programs…We recommend local TV Channels to think about the issue seriously. Let them think

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