Details of Concept for State Support to Mass Media Development in Azerbaijan released

He said that they presented the draft concept along with the letter addressed to the president. Aflatun Amashov expressed his hope that the document will soon be confirmed and implemented.

Director of President’s Office socio-political department Ali Hasanov said the conception is being studied at present.

The draft concept received by the agency envisages establishing assistance fund to improve legislative basis of mass media, reinforce material-technical basis, finance programs and projects considered priority by the government and improve management of media, implementing programs to study international practice, establishing Media Institute, taking measures to strengthen social protection of media distribution companies.

The state support to mass media can be in the form of methodical, technical-organizational, consultative, financial, social ads and other forms.

Financial support to mass media is possible in the form of grants allocated by the government, as well as financing the projects aiming to solve the problems important for the state and society through competition and without competition terms.

Projects without competition envisage allocating targeted assistances to the media outlets in the regions, targeted funds when government agencies order to publish normative legal acts and there is need to distribute them, distributing commercials of local self-management bodies to media outlets in a centralized form.

Financing of projects connected with long-term and preferential loans , spheres making up priority for -government and of public interests is through competition. Following projects can be financed according to the document:
-Civil society, legal state establishment process,
-Protection of public and state interests,
-Development of freedom of speech and media, pluralism,
-Informing world society about realities of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
-Protection of Azerbaijan’s just position, integration of country into world union,
-Development of cooperation with regional countries and other countries, international organizations,
-Solution of problems of refugees and IDPs, people in need of social care,
-Promotion of history of Azerbaijani State system, national traditions, culture, science, art,
- Promotion of idea of Azerbaijanizing,
-Education of patriotic feelings and formation of national consciousness in young gender,
-Provision of socio-economical development of regions,
- Development of free entrepreneurship and liberal economy,
-Development of information and communication technologies,
-Solidarity of Diaspora, consolidation of lobbies and world Azerbaijanis,
-Religious and national tolerance, development of international relations, cultural-educational, educational, popular-scientific programs,
-Protection of ecology and environment,
-Physical and moral development of gender, family, children and youth

About 3500 mass media were registered in Azerbaijan. 3400 of them are magazines and journals, about 30 information agencies, 44 electronic mass media. There are 7 countrywide TV channels, 14 regional TV channels, 12 cable TVs and 9 radio stations in our country. Majority of mass media was established by independent legal and individual entities, public organizations, and political parties.

/APA/