Workshop on “Past, Present and Future of Radio Broadcasting in Azerbaijan” held

A workshop on “Past, Present and Future of Radio Broadcasting in Azerbaijan” was held on 11 December, organized jointly by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport (MDDT) and the Audiovisual Council.

The workshop discussed the work done over the past years in the field of radio broadcasting, the successes achieved thanks to state support for broadcasters, and plans related to the further development of the industry.

Representatives of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the Audiovisual Council, the Radio & TV Broadcasting and Satellite Communications Production Association, the State Administration of Radio Frequencies subordinated to the MDDT, as well as nationwide radio broadcasters attended the event.

In the speeches, it was emphasized that since the first days of Azerbaijan’s independence to the present day, thanks to special attention and care of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev, radio broadcasting has been developing rapidly in the country.

The completion of the unfinished construction of the Baku TV Tower complex by direct order of Heydar Aliyev and its commissioning in 1996 with direct participation of the great leader was proudly noted.

Thanks to this, FM radio broadcasting, considered the advanced technology of the time, was launched along with improving the quality and expanding the coverage of TV and radio broadcasting in the country.

The widespread introduction of FM radio broadcasting in the country, the development of technical capabilities of the channels, and the expansion of the broadcasting infrastructure made it possible to discontinue AM radio broadcasting in the subsequent period. This technology has contributed to the environment by reducing annual energy consumption for radio broadcasting by 14 times and annual carbon emissions from 18.7 kilotons to 1.3 kilotons.

It was noted at the workshop that since 2016, the President of Azerbaijan has signed relevant orders in connection with the provision of state financial assistance to meet the information needs of the society, educate the population, strengthen the material and technical base of private TV and radio broadcasters, which are actively involved in promoting the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people in the country and in the international arena.

Thus, thanks to the state’s financial assistance of 15 million AZN, five times over the years, quality radio broadcasting has been ensured.

As a continuation of this policy, due to the need to ensure better quality radio broadcasting used by the country’s  population on a wider territory, on 24 July 2023 President of the country Ilham Aliyev signed an order “On allocation of financial resources for expansion of radio broadcasting network in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan” and  funds in the amount of AZN 13.7 million were allocated for this purpose.

As a result of the implementation of the order, technical means for various purposes were purchased and installed at 17 Radio and  Television Transmitting Stations, the sustainability and upgrading of infrastructure was implemented, as well as availability of programs of nationwide radio broadcasters has been made available to the population  throughout the country, including in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, which were liberated from occupation.

The said order provides for the reimbursement of costs from the state budget for 3 years of operation as additional support to the national radio broadcasters, which gives radio broadcasters the opportunity to expand commercial activities during this period.

It was noted that in the last 5 years, the Audiovisual Council has organized competitions to ensure a higher level of diversity in radio programs, as well as to organize the efficient use of national radio frequencies and as a result, the number of terrestrial radio channels with nationwide status increased from 11 to 17.

“Action Plan for introduction and development of digital radio broadcasting in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, approved by the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 7 October 2023, is an important document for the transition to digital broadcasting in the field of radio broadcasting.

As a result of the implementation of the said Action Plan, DAB+ standard digital radio, which started broadcasting from 2019 on the territory of Baku city and Absheron peninsula, is planned to expand the entire territory of the country.

To this end, it is planned to replace the DAB+ broadcasting equipment of the Baku TV Tower Complex with a new one and organize DAB+ broadcasting from the Gulustan Radio & TV Station located in Aghsu region by the end of this year.

The consistent state policy pursued in the Republic of Azerbaijan in this field ensures the organization of information provision of the population in accordance with up-to-date requirements, as well as strengthening the country’s national security.

The private radio broadcasters participating in the workshop took an active part in the discussions and expressed their deep gratitude to the state agencies, especially to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, for the support provided by the state and favourable working conditions. Confidence was expressed that public-private partnership in this field, where private channels predominate among broadcasters, will lead to sustainable development with new successes.