Azerbaijan Set To Tighten Language Control Among Local TV And Radio Channels

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 8.​ A report will be issued on the words used by TV and radio presenters and programs in Azerbaijan during the first three months next year, Chairman of the Audiovisual Council Ismat Sattarov said at the conference on "Development Strategy of the Azerbaijani Language as the State Language: Current Situation and Prospects" in the parliament, Trend reports.

According to him, the Audiovisual Council has so far almost completely prevented the use of foreign words in commercials on TV and radio channels.

The chairman noted that foreign words are now rarely encountered on television and radio.

“However, 10–15 years ago, English, Russian or other foreign words were frequently used in commercials,” he recalled.

Sattarov emphasized that commercials are especially important, since unlike programs, they are repeated several times a day-sometimes for years-and the words become embedded in people's memory:

“This situation is controlled both through legislative means and through a system agreed upon in advance with the channels. As a result, the use of foreign words in many commercials has already been reduced to a minimum.

Nevertheless, the situation is more complex in programs and broadcasts. There are both objective and subjective reasons for this. For example, every day, the monitoring department, consisting of only six people, reviews approximately 800 hours of broadcast material. It's physically difficult to watch and record such a large amount of material for both television and radio.

We identified about 40 of the most frequently used foreign words and monitored the channels for two weeks using software. As a result, it was found that these words were used nearly three thousand times.

This system greatly helps us, because starting from January, information will be sent to the channels, and during the first three months, reports will be provided on the words used by presenters and programs. Presenters must draw their own conclusions. After three months, the council will implement legislative measures related to the protection of the language. The fines stipulated by law range from 500–1,000 manat ($295–$590). We aren't aiming to deliberately fine the media, but there is no other way to protect the language,” he added.

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