On December 11, a seminar was held on the topic “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow of Radio Broadcasting in Azerbaijan” organized by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport (MDDT) and the Audiovisual Council.
The seminar reviewed the work done in radio broadcasting in recent years, the progress, achieved thanks to the state support provided to TV and radio broadcasters, and discussed plans for the future development of the field.
The event was attended by representatives of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the Audiovisual Council, the “Radio-Television Broadcasting and Satellite Communications” Production Association under MDDT, the State Radio Frequencies Administration, as well as representatives of nationwide radio broadcasters.
The speeches emphasized that radio broadcasting has been developing rapidly in the country since the beginning of independence to the present day, thanks to the special attention and care of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev.
The completion of the unfinished construction of the Baku TV Tower Complex by the direct instruction of the National Leader and its commissioning in 1996 with his direct participation were proudly recalled.
Thanks to this, in addition to improving the quality and expanding the scope of television and radio broadcasting in the country, it was reported that FM radio broadcasting, which was considered an advanced technology of that time, was launched.
The widespread application of FM radio broadcasting in the country, the development of the technical capabilities of channels, and the expansion of the broadcasting infrastructure allowed AM radio broadcasting to be discontinued in the subsequent period. This technology has contributed to the ecological environment by reducing the annual energy consumption for radio broadcasting by 14 times and annual carbon emissions from 18.7 kilotons to 1.3 kilotons.
The seminar reported that, starting from 2016, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed relevant orders regarding the provision of state financial assistance to meet the information needs of society, educate the population, and strengthen the material and technical base of private television and radio broadcasters that actively participate in the promotion of the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people in the country and internationally.
Thus, thanks to the state’s financial assistance of 5 times in total 15 million manats, high-quality radio broadcasting has been ensured.
As a continuation of this policy, due to the need to ensure a wider and higher-quality broadcast of radio broadcasts used by the country’s population, President Ilham Aliyev, signed an Order on July 24, 2023, “On the allocation of financial resources for the expansion of the radio broadcasting network in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, and 13.7 million manats were allocated for this purpose.
As a result of the implementation of the Order, various technical equipment was purchased and installed at 17 Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations, while at the same time increasing the sustainability and modernization of the infrastructure, ensuring the accessibility of the broadcast of programs of nationwide radio broadcasters to the population throughout the country, including in liberated Karabakh and East Zangezur.
The said Order provides for the payment of 3-year operating costs from the state budget as additional support for nationwide radio broadcasters, which allows radio broadcasters to expand their commercial activities during that period as an additional support measure.
In the last 5 years, in order to ensure a higher level of diversity in radio programs, as well as to organize the efficient use of national radio frequencies, competitions have been organized by the Audiovisual Council, and as a result, the number of terrestrial radio channels with nationwide status has increased from 11 to 17.
The “Action Plan for the Implementation 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 October 7, 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 mentioned Action Plan, it is planned to expand the DAB+ standard digital radio, which has been broadcasting in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula since 2019, to the entire territory of the country.
For this purpose, it is planned to replace the DAB+ radio broadcasting equipment from the Baku TV Tower Complex with new ones by the end of this year and organize DAB+ broadcasting from the Gulustan Radio and Television Broadcasting Station located in the Agsu region.
The consistent state policy implemented in this area in the Republic of Azerbaijan ensures the organization of information provision for the population in accordance with modern requirements, as well as the strengthening of the country’s national security.
Private radio broadcasters actively participated in the discussions, expressed their deep gratitude to state bodies, especially to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, for the support provided by the state and the favourable operating conditions created. The broadcasters expressed confidence that public-private partnership will lead to sustainable development with new successes in this area, where private channels are the majority.
11.12.2024