AZERI STATE BROADCAST CHIEF THREATENS TO SUSPEND BBC FROM NATIONAL RADIO

Trend news agency, Baku
25 May 04

Baku, 25 May: The broadcasts of the world-famous BBC on the Azerbaijani
state radio channel (national first programme) may be suspended,
the chairman of the Azerbaijani state television and radio company,
Nizami Xudiyev, told the Milli Maclis today, Trend reports.

He said the company had sent an official warning to the BBC. The
message condemns a BBC reporter’s recent visit to Nagornyy Karabakh
and the preparation of a series of reports from there without notifying
Baku officials. The document describes this as unacceptable and against
Azerbaijani legislation. Xudiyev added that if such circumstances
are repeated, the BBC broadcasts on the state radio channel Araz will
be suspended.

BBC programmes are broadcast on Araz two hours a day (one hour in
Azeri and 30 minutes each in Russian and English). According to an
international agreement on broadcasts, to which Azerbaijan is party,
the broadcasts of a radio station cannot be suspended without official
notification.