The Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has begun broadcasting via Turksat in a bid to circumvent Azerbaijan’s ban on domestic FM broadcasts by foreign-owned radio stations. Radio Azadliq (Radio Liberty) and the Voice of America will share a 24-hour broadcasting slot on Turksat, the station announced on 17 April.
News programmes from Radio Azadliq make up the bulk of the schedule. The station already broadcasts via Hotbird, a part of the Paris-based Eutelsat service that reaches a much smaller percentage of Azerbaijani satellite users.
Radio Azadliq bureau chief Khadija Ismayilova told EurasiaNet that Turksat’s coverage area will allow the radio station to penetrate Azerbaijan’s regions. Turksat is estimated to reach the majority of Azerbaijan’s satellite users. By contrast, the FM radio frequency restricted the station largely to Baku and the surrounding Absheron peninsula. AM broadcasts, which reached other parts of Azerbaijan, have been curtailed as well.
Radio Azadliq stopped its FM broadcasts on 1 January after a heavily-criticized decision by Azerbaijan that foreign-owned stations should not have access to the frequency. Ninety percent of the station’s audience received Radio Azadliq’s broadcasts via FM, Ms Ismayilova said.
Tuning information:
- Satellite: Turksat 42.0° East
- Polarization: Horizontal
- Freq: 12 139 MHz
- Symbol rate: 11 111
- FEC: 5/6
- Channel ID: IBB VOA
