Public TV and Radio Broadcasting Company (ITV) has been allocated 13. 5 million from state budget of 2009. The Company’s Public Relations Department Head Tahir Mammadov told the press that 40 percent of this will be used for salaries and 5% for maintenance and communal expenses.
“1.5 million will be will be spent for membership in international organizations and rent expenses of satellite and on-land transmitters,” added T. Mammadov. “The rest of the fund will be mostly allocated for the realization of big and original projects that are being considered for implemenation this year.”
“Azerbaijan TV and Radio Broadcasting” (AZTV) Closed Sharing Company has been allocated 27 million 722 thousand 61 manats from 2009 government budget. The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and safety was told this by the Company’s Press Service Head Khatira Osmanova. However, Gasimova did not want to reveal how this amount will be spent saying that this is a commercial secret.
Public TV was created on the basis of a suggestion from the Council of Europe because there is need for freedom of speech, pluralism, moral enlightenment and expression of national interests. Since Public TV was created to present public opinions, to allocate unpaid airtime during elections, carry out enlightenment and so on, it is reasonable why this TV is funded from government budget. Allocating two times as much money for AZTV, which is still debatable whether it belongs to government or not, than for Public TV does not conform to any criteria.