Press Release

Azerbaijani Radio License Approved for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America

September 10, 2007 | Washington, D.C.« Back to Press Releases

September 10, 2007 – The Azerbaijani National TV and Radio Council approved a radio license to be used jointly by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA) on Friday. The one-year license for FM broadcast will be subject to annual renewal.

Broadcasting from Baku, the station carries 67 hours of Radio Liberty Azerbaijani programming per week (which consists of 40 hours of original programming and 27 hours of repeated programming) and about eight hours per week of programming from VOA's Azerbaijani service (which consists of about four and a half hours of original programming and three and a half hours of repeated programming). The remaining hours feature VOA's Music Mix program.

Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman James Glassman said of the license approval, "We are glad to have a home for VOA and RFE/RL on the airwaves in Baku. We look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership."

RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service also broadcasts via satellite and AM signals. Azerbaijani Service programming is available via the Internet, at the service’s website www.azadliq.org and at www.rferl.org; English-language news about events in Azerbaijan can be found on the RFE/RL website, at www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/azerbaijan.html.

VOA also broadcasts via shortwave and television. VOA’s Azerbaijani Service maintains two separate websites; www.VOANews.com/azerbaijani in Latin script and www.VOANews.com/azeri in Persian-Arabic script. All VOA Azerbaijani radio and television programs are streamed for on-demand listening and viewing.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency which supervises all U.S. government-supported, non-military international broadcasting, including The Voice of America (VOA); Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa); Radio Free Asia (RFA); and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Martí). Through its broadcast services, the BBG provides the United States and its leaders direct and immediate access to a worldwide audience of 155 million people. Current governors are Chairman James K. Glassman, Joaquin F. Blaya, Blanquita W. Cullum, D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, Edward E. Kaufman, Steven J. Simmons, and Mark McKinnon. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an ex officio member, is represented by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Karen Hughes.

For more information, contact the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 203-4959, or by e-mail at publicaffairs@voa.gov.

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