Azerbaijan launches foreign TV service

Move is part of bid to increase global profile

Variety.com
March 4, 2009

By NICK HOLDSWORTH

MOSCOW — Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic that borders the Caspian
sea in the Caucasus, is to launch a foreign language TV service as part
of a bid to increase its profile internationally.

Broadcasting in English, Russian, Azeri, Armenian, Turkish and Farsi the
channel will widen access to news and information about the oil-rich
country.

Nushiravan Maharramli, head of Azerbaijan’s national radio and
television council, said that an open competitive tender would be
launched this month for companies interested in operating the service.

He told local news agency APA that discussions were "already underway"
with interested companies.

The structure and frequencies of the international channel would be
decided later, Maharramli said, adding that spare capacity was available
for the service.

Maharramli said the decision to set up an international channel under
Azerbaijan control was prompted by the cessation of Russian language and
other foreign language radio and TV broadcasts following last year’s
spat between the two countries over reciprocal transmission rights.

In January 2008 the television and radio broadcasting council suspended
transmission of Russian pubcaster RTR-Planeta because it lacked a
broadcast license. That dispute followed an earlier one in which
Russia’s top broadcaster, the First Channel, was denied broadcast rights
in Azerbaijan.

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