Hope for the restoration of the broadcasts of foreign radio stations on FM frequencies is fading. One reason for this is an interview that Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration Socio-political Department Head Ali Hasanov gave to the news website www.day.az (http://www.day.az/news/politics/144264.html).
In his interview, Hasanov said, ‘I am saying using one sentence that these radio stations are manifestation of a continuation the cold war at present. They are not aired in civil countries; even if they are, they don’t do it through special status. Of course, these radio stations want to be broadcast in Azerbaijan; let it be and we will create conditions for them according to our legislation. However, they will have to be broadcast as they are in other countries. We do not intend to create special opportunities for them to be aired. Once again, these radios are leftovers from the cold war era and are broadcast in the native languages of those countries they are working against. If these radios are so important, why aren’t they broadcast in the United States of America, Great Britain, France Belgium and other countries? This means that these radio stations do not work to enlighten people but serve other purposes. Despite these, the owner countries of these radio stations can work if they think the broadcasting of these radios is important; but we will not create special conditions for them. Radios and TV channels are broadcast according to the demands of the International convention and it will be the same here.”
The broadcasts of "Radio Liberty", "Voice of America" and BBC via FM frequencies in Azerbaijan were ceased on 1 January 2009 on the basis of a decision that Azerbaijan’s National Television and Radio Council issued on 30 December 2008.