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US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish at
installation of TV transmitter in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan.
Installation of TV Transmitters Boosts Development of TV Sector
IREX/Azerbaijan Media Advancement Project improved the impoverished situation of the television broadcasters in the region by distributing and installing transmitters at various TV stations in cities throughout Azerbaijan.
The transmitters enhanced local broadcasting signals, providing the station owners with a larger audience and the potential to garner more advertising revenue. Increases in revenue bring broadcasters closer to financial independence and the improved editorial content that comes along with it.
This initiative had a knock-on effect because it precipitated the need to develop a frequency map for the country and the Azerbaijani authorities. IREX worked with Azerbaijan’s Frequency Commission, providing them with the necessary software and hardware to map the current frequency spectra for the entire country.
IREX employed mapping experts from Kosovo and Albania to train the Azerbaijani technicians and brought in technical equipment from Albania to complete the project.
This program ultimately served two purposes. Primarily, it gave the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) an opportunity to visualize where opportunities lay for expansion of broadcast media. Vast pockets of the population are underserved in the current allocation of licenses. The NTRC has been reluctant to issue new licenses for fear of interfering with existing broadcast signals. The map enabled them to plan for future expansion. With the information provided, NRTC has issued tenders for seven additional signals in the regions.
Additionally, the mapping process gave the government of Azerbaijan the proof it needed to implore the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) to force the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to modify their broadcast signals that are intruding into Azerbaijani airspace.
