İctimai Television

İctimai Television (Azerbaijani: İctimai Televiziya, "Public Television" Azerbaijani pronunciation: [itʃtimɑˈi teleˈvizijɑ]) or İTV is a public television channel in Azerbaijan. It began broadcasting on 29 August 2005 after being created by law in 2004, as the first independent public broadcaster in Azerbaijan.[1] The channel is based in Baku.

Not to be confused with the television network and channel in the United Kingdom known as ITV.
İctimai Televiziya ("Public Television")
İctimai TV's fourth and current logo since 1 January 2019.
LaunchedAugust 29, 2005 (2005-08-29)
Owned byPublic Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (statutory corporation)
Picture format16:9
HDTV
CountryAzerbaijan
LanguageAzerbaijani
Broadcast area
HeadquartersBaku, Azerbaijan
Formerly calledAzTV 2
Sister channel(s)İctimai Radio
Websiteitv.az

İTV is primarily funded through advertising and government payments.[2][3] The law of 2004 creating the channel called for funding to come from a television licence fee, beginning in 2010,[2][4] but this portion of the law has yet to be implemented.[5]

The channel is operated by the Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (Azerbaijani: İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti), which consists of a nine member council, whose members are approved by the President of Azerbaijan, and a director general elected by the council and also approved by the president.[1][6]

This arrangement, as well as the continued state financing, has been subject to criticism by non-governmental organizations, on the grounds that the channel may be too closely connected to the government to be fully independent and unbiased.[7][8][9] İTV became a member of the European Broadcasting Union on 5 July 2007, allowing it to take part in events such as the Eurovision Song Contest, which it entered for the first time in 2008.[10]

Following Azerbaijan's win in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, İTV hosted the 2012 competition in Baku. The broadcaster was also supposed to host the Third Eurovision Dance Contest in Baku,[11] but this event was postponed indefinitely due to a lack of participants.

References
  1. "Television Channels in Azerbaijan". Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  2. "The Law of Azerbaijan Republic on Public TV-Radio Broadcasting" (PDF). 2004. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  3. Hajili, Rashid (2012). Hug, Adam (ed.). "Freedom of Media in Azerbaijan" (PDF). Spotlight on Azerbaijan. London: Foreign Policy Centre: 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012.
  4. Golovanov, Dmitry. "Azerbaijan : Public Broadcasting Introduced". IRIS Legal Observations. European Audiovisual Observatory. Archived from the original on 18 November 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  5. "Funds for Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Company to be increased". Azeri-Press Agency. 19 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  6. "Azeri parliament passes controversial broadcasting law". International Journalists' Network. Sitemap International Center for Journalists. 16 January 2004. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  7. Azerbaijan and the European Union: A Policy Dilemma (PDF). Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety. September 2013. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  8. Huseynov, Emil (2012). "Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan: The Internet as the last island of freedom". Pluralism and Internet Governance (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). p. 90. ISBN 978-92-9234-642-3. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  9. Kazimova, Arifa (18 March 2011). "Media in Azerbaijan: The Ruling Family Dominates TV, the Opposition Has Some Papers". Caucasus Analytical Digest. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich: Center for Security Studies (25): 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  10. Sand, Jon Ola (2011). "Winners All Around". The Business Year. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  11. Bakker, Sietse (2 February 2009). "Dance Contest 2009 to Baku, Azerbaijan". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 26 March 2014.


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