Authorities to stop foreign radio stations in Azerbaijan

Before the end of 2008, the National Television and Radio Board (NTRB) of Azerbaijan plans to make decision to stop broadcasting of radio stations Liberty, Voice of America in national frequencies.

"National frequencies shall broadcast only national TV and radio companies; this is our policy," said NTRB Chairman Nushiravan Magerramli in his talk with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, when commenting the official position of the NTRB on the issue.

As he said, the NTRB was pursuing this policy stage by stage during the recent years. Thus, at first they had stopped Russian and Turkish TV Channels, then - radio stations of these countries. Further on, they suspended a French radio station. In future, they suppose to revise the intergovernmental agreement on broadcasting of TRT1 - the First State TV Channel of Turkey - in Azerbaijan.

"As to radio stations Liberty, Voice of America and BBC, the NTRB is resolute to finally decide on this issue till the end of this year," said Mr Magerramli. He has added that the broadcasting licenses of these stations in Azerbaijan expired back in August-September 2008.

In his turn, Rashid Gadzhily, Director of Institute of Media Rights, believes that should the NTRB of Azerbaijan decide to stop the Liberty, Voice of America and BBC in national frequencies, it will be more a political than a legal decision. Mr Gadzhily has expressed his hope that the case will not come to stopping the radio stations, and the issue will be somehow settled.