Azerbaijan, Baku, 1 November /Тrend News corr. J.Babayeva/ The U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors called on the Azerbaijan National Television & Radio Council to review its plans to shut down the BBC, Svoboda and the Voice of America radio stations in the country.
"Neither the Board nor the U.S. Embassy in Baku has received any official notification about the plans of the Azerbaijani broadcasting authority. There is some "alarming trend" in the way Baku has been governing the national broadcast in recent two years," according to the Statement on Restrictions on the Media Activity in Azerbaijan of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors.
The Chairman of the Azerbaijan National Television & Radio Council Nushiravan Maharramli said on 31 October that the BBC, Svoboda and the Voice of America radio stations would stop live broadcast in the country by the end of 2009. "At the end of this year all foreign radio stations will lose the frequencies through which they broadcast in Azerbaijan. Foreign radio stations will broadcast via satellite, internet and cable network," said Maharramli.
According to the statement of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, the Azerbaijani authorities explained the planned changes by the fact the country is just bringing its approach in conformity with the European and international standards.
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