AZERBAIJAN NOT TO BROADCAST RUSSIA’S TV
Kommersant, Russia
Dec 27 2006
Azerbaijan won’t broadcast Russia’s Channel One and RTR Planeta
starting from January 2007. The official explanation of this move of
the oil-rich state is to set into motion the national TV channels.
But the true reason of the ban could be the information policy of
the channels, to be more precise the coverage of Nagorno Karabakh
clashes of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The Azeri authorities intend to ban two TV channels of Russia, said
Nushiravan Magerramli, chief of the Azeri National Council for TV
and Radio Broadcasting. The official said that, in early January,
they will consider terminating broadcasting of two TV channels of
Russia – Channel 1 and RTR Planeta – and two private channels of
Turkey – Channel D and Samanyolu. Starting from 2007, the people
of Azerbaijan will be able to watch them via the satellite or cable
television exclusively, Magerramli made clear.
The root cause of the yesterday’s attack of Azerbaijan embarrassed
managers of Russia’s TV channels. The sources said all contracts with
Azerbaijan had been duly concluded.
The root cause of forthcoming ban on Russia’s TV in Azerbaijan could
be the information policy of the TV channels, especially in part of
unrecognized Nagorno Karabakh Republic. On September 11, the deputy
of Azerbaijan’s parliament, Ganira Pashaeva called for banning the
channels of Russia, blaming on RTR Planeta the coverage of celebration
of the 15th anniversary of Nagorno Karabakh independence.