Comments of politicians, journalists and political scientists about the plans to cease transmission of foreign radio stations in Azerbaijan

Chairman of the Democratic Reforms Party Asim Mollazade:

"I do not see any need in closing foreign radio stations in Azerbaijan, as they are more competent than local stations. I think they may be a good example for Azerbaijani radio journalists.

I think that the statement of the chairman of the National Television and Radio Council is not the final decision on this issue. I think there is no need to limit the informational space in Azerbaijan.

Deputy Panah Huseynov:

"The Chairman of the National Television and Radio Council announced that they came to it by phases and referred to international practice and practice in the neighbor states. Yet, as we know, this occurs not for the first time and in particular the Voice of America radio station has been repeatedly closed and then opened again. It was reported that the leaders of the radio stations came to Azerbaijan and held talks with the country leadership.

It was reported that radio stations face serious pressure. Azadlyg radio has special problems as it allocated air for opposition representatives. They were informed about this problem and were requested to allocate an air for false opposition.

On the one hand, this is a part of the policy, aimed to restrict the information freedom and it affects the right of the Azerbaijani people to get objective information.

I think this is a pressure on them - they are demanded to make concessions in the sphere of news on Azerbaijan. They demanded not to grant air to powers opponents. Anyway, I consider this inadmissible".

Chairman of the Yeni Nesil journalists association Asif Aliyev:

"We are told that the world does not have a practice of granting frequencies to the radio stations of another country. I think this is an unsuccessful reference to the world practice. By some unknown reasons we always refer to the experience, applied 20-30 years ago, while speaking of world practice.

Today the development has reached the level when such restrictions become senseless. Information borders are so expanded now that such restrictions have no sense. I do not think that this decision is connected with the striving to meet world standards. This is primarily a political decision.

Foreign radio stations are the only stations in Azerbaijan, which maintain pluralism of opinions, hold public debates. It seems that this has become a reason for concerns. The role of foreign radio stations is growing due to the weakness of electronic mass media, especially television and radio. I suppose that this is not a legal issue.

The final decision will be mostly political and will depend on the pressure of the countries, representing these stations and bearing relations to them. The opinion of internal public may play a role in this issue, for we also have to do with it. Here it is obvious that interactiveness is present only at these radio stations. I mean the political, economic interactiveness and philosophic thoughts, not of the interactiveness during which listeners ask to play this or that music or discuss the cars of the singers".

Vugar Rahimzade, member of the political board of the Yeni Azerbaijan party and editor-in-chief of the Iki Sahil newspaper:

"I consider the decision of chairman of the National Television and Radio Council Nushirevan Meherremli to stop the activity of foreign radio stations on the national frequencies of Azerbaijan to be right. Everything must be regulated by the law and on the basis of world-approved practice. Meherremli's actions meet the Azerbaijani legislation. The activity of the Television and Radio channels is regulated by national legislation. Foreign radio stations can be transmitted via satellite or other means:

Political scientist Rasim Musabeyov:

"I do not see any special need for closing the radio stations. BBC, Voice of America and Azadlyg were not rivaling the Azerbaijani radio stations in the sense of advertising, as they are not commercial radio stations.

When foreign TV channels were shutdown and local ones perceived this as a positive fact, it was clear, as they narrowed the advertising market for Azerbaijan TV channels, In this case there is a competition by content and listeners have an opportunity to choose what to listen to. It will be regretful if such decision is adopted. Hundreds of thousands of listeners will lose much from it".

/Day.Az/