Azerbaijani television channels: what causes disaffection of viewers?

At present, mass media and socia networks are engaged in debates over unsatisfactory conditions of country"s television channels, their lagging behind up-to-date requirements, their incompliance with demands and needs of the audience. An oppressive state of the local television, its его amateur, audience-irritative work is a reason of serious debates and controversies at the Parliament. What"s the reason of this negative tendency on our telespace?

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Before replying this crucial question, it"d be appropriate to note that despite Internet"s stormy progress, television as a channel of information does prevail worldwide. Thus, approx. 70% of West" population receives information through TV-channels. The point here is about advantages of television"s simultaneous impact both on consciousness and emotions of humans.

It is precisely the screen that makes up fundamentals of information for present-day man in the audio-visual epoch. From this point of view, the modern television performs functions of main delivery system of this screen. On the other hand, the number of those prodicing and disseminating this visual information is growing.

According to the latest estimates, at present, above 2,5 bln users prefer to apply a digital photocamera and more than 1 bln active users of mobile phones (in the aggregate 3,5 bln, i.e. half of world"s population) resort to smartphones, snapshots, load them into Internet and use them fir entertainment, rest and work. Added to this can be TV-items that speeds up a flow of images in the virtual world. Suffice it to say that millions of photographs and video are daily loaded into vide-hosting site YouTube, social networks Facebook and Instagram. Also, Instagram with its 100 mln active users are daily added with more than 40 mln photographs. According to 2018 data, YouTube is loaded with video totaling 81 duration.

As a matter of fact, in terms of permanent flow of screens, techno;ogical advantages, simplified communication with the world and abundance of events - Azerbaijani TV-channels are meant to attract the audience with interesting projects. However, absolutely different picture viewers are faced with for lack of common sense. It is indisputable that as compared with 10-15 years ago the viewers" audience of Azerbaijan tends to get narrowed, the number of viewers of local TV-programs is reduced. Country"s viewers prefer tp watch foreign channels (TRT, ORT, RTV, CNN, BBC, Euronews, etc.), so the number of even high rating local TV-programs is insignificant. Main reasons of viewers" refusal from watching local TV-channels are as follows:

- a viewer cannot get necessary information from local channels;

- information programs are mostly of propaganda nature;

- television is in no position to mirror the life of society;

- screen and air fail to cause interest in democratic and cultural values;

- educational programs decreased, their quality worsened;

- literary-art programs are far from aesthetical standard;

- most telecasts are not related to ordinary life and cause no interest for viewers;

- there are no up-to-date telecasts to meet interests of youth;

- there are no public debates; TV-channels stick to one-sided coverage of country"s processes, etc.

It"d be appropriate to add that dominant causes of the above-mentioned shortcomings are the lack of independence of television and radio broadcasting; TV-channels" inability to lay open painful issues to discussions; ignorance of critical views on important questions and pluralism of opinions; satisfaction with narrow topics; disregard for the Law on Tele-Radio Broadcasting; low level of screen professionalism.

In spite of the fact that the country has a legal foundation for television and radio broadcasting, separate Laws on TV, Radio and Public broadcastings have been adopted; there is also a separate body regulating the state policy in broadcasting; programs are not interesting, monotonous, cause no serious interest. News and related programs are of propaganda nature, unvaried; give no consideration to serious political and social-economic information. No ways of the resolution of country"s problems are raised.

Note that programs of most TV-channels are deficient in direct transmission, interesting interviews, special commentaries, research and analysis of issues disturbing society. Telecasts are imbued with atmosphere of Soviet propaganda system; literary-publicist programs of TV-channels are impregnated with artificial pathos rather than sincere words and sense; information releases are full of lie, overestimations, attempts to please ruling circles, etc.

The most paradoxical feature of Azerbaijani TVs is absolute disregard of requirements on content of telecasts as set forth in Article 32 of the Law on Tele-radio broadcasting, including:

- questions of education and culture are of priority; it is essential to prevent overloading of air with commercial, information and other identical broadcasts;

- conditions are to be provided for everybody to freely voice his views, provided compliance with principles of neutrality, impartiality, openness, completeness and credibility of information;

- direct responsibility of program authors before the Law;

- non-admission of disparagement of citizens; casting aspirations on their business reputation; respect for rights and freedoms of citizens as set forth in the Constitution of the Azerbaijani Republic;

- impartial commentaries on facts and events without one-sidedness in their interpretation;

- refusal from any propaganda of terrorism, violence, national, religious and racial discrimination;

- use of official language in programs (telecasts);

- compliance with official technical standards in tele-radio broadcasting;

- consistent upholding of national-moral values.

Regretfully, none of these provisions (including principles of "neutrality, impartiality, completeness, openness and credibility of information") affecting activity of any TV-channel, starting from correct broadcasting to content of common telecast, are complied with. As a consequence, news programs meant to hold up a mirror to country" and world processes turn into a useless product of propaganda and PR. Also, the scope of news is restricted, items from regions are frequently reduced to agricultural issues, including sowing, harvesting, etc.

As far as I remember, nearly twenty years ago a head of the Israeli television visited editing premises of "AzTV-News to watch corn gathering motion-pictures. With a smile in his face, he asked: "Whom are commentaries from wheat and cotton fields addressed to?". Many years later, news releases of our TV-channels go to prove that the issue remains to be topical. These programs and newscasts are attended by specialists in agriculture who provide contradictory data on intensive harvesting, selfless labor, high income, sustainable development, etc..

Overloading the air with useless news topics and commentaries, Azerbaijani TV-channels are ignoring items crucial for mass media, including "topicality, urgency, significance, impartiality, practicality, relevancy, interest, etc.".

It should be remembered that the period of ANS activity, even despite some manipulations, demonstrated signs of news awareness upheld by the TV-channel managers within the framework of existing freedoms. Suffice it to remember that a serious information vacuum arose in the country after the closure of the TV-channel. One cannot forget that TV-channels Real TV and ARB-24 that started operating in 2018 with a view of revitalizing news environment, failed to attain the goal due to the lack of pluralistic approach to the matter, nor gained audience"s confidence.

The same situation is typical for other TV-channels. Thus, Lider TV and Space TV cannot go beyond frames of self-created news releases. A single "success" of Space TV is reduced to insistent demonstration of Indian movies in spite of everything. In spite of the fact that the ATV is seeking to follow modern standards of news delivery, preserve the current level of broadcasting through the use of experienced anchorpersons, the company is in no position to conceal unprofessionalism in preparing and presenting certain items.

An emphasis is to be laid on the fact that "Khazar TV" is no longer a TV-channel that had earlier introduced a new, interesting style of news into a television expanse. General quality and style of news and reports on this TV-channel essentially worsened. Over the past 1-2 years "Khazar TV" is mentioned due to low-quality show and inadequate behavior of anchorpersons. This notwithstanding, "Khazar TV" with its largely medical consultations, music and low-quality show programs enjoys particular privileges at the advertisement market. Of interest is the fact that sources of financing of private TV-channels, including "Khazar TV", remains unknown.

One the main reasons of the current failure of Azerbaijani TV-channels is that a greater portion of the airtime is filled with poor-quality show-programs. Using programs of this sort, show-business representatives primarily engaged in wedding business contrived to create their own microclimate.

Added to the above can be that continuous observations over TV-channels go to show that a permanent growth of primitive show-business programs, as well as a composition of participants (not scientists, intellectuals, writers, etc.) are not coincidental but rather a well thought-out, systematic policy. Note that this business-aggravated policy denies any national-moral values imposing upon society new values of those we wrongly call "primitive and futile, i.e. singer, dancer, toast-master, jester, flatterer, etc.

The danger is that this process is incessant and effective. To all appearance, there are those watching on Yutub shows about second-best singers. Increase of programs of this type gives grounds to assert that show-programs are attaining their goals. A conclusion from these telecasts is that there is a large, tasteless mass of people - "uneducated and illiterate" - behind these programs (!?). Some people even allege that "nation is behind these people". In other words, degradation process in society is underway; social portrait of Azerbaijani viewer, his interests and desires are deformed as well.

Beyond any doubt, one of the reasons of deplorable situation in Azerbaijani television expanse is the lack of critical response to broadcasting and effective public control. Note that TV-channel criticism in mass media and general public has neither effect, nor pucli influence on television activity, especial budgetary one.

As a whole, no public control is carried out over assessment of interests and intentions of society, as well as observance of principles of tele- and radio-broadcasting, including accuracy, impartiality, balanced approach and pluralism. No steps are made to enhance broader audience" and general public"s interest in tele- and radio-broadcasting, strengthen society"s influence on broadcasting policy and make television accountable to general public. The reasons cited above impeded trasformation of the Azerbaijani television into a structure relying on principles of creative activity, respect to viewers, justice and law, creative spirit and professionalism. To enhance society"s interest in television, it is essential to intensify tele-crticism in mass media, organize TV-debates and viewers" discussions, draw up valuable recommendations for TV-channels by means of summarizing critical ideas.

Touching upon the current state of Azerbaijani television space, it is important to note that there are feeble but positive processes going on in state budget-financed AzTV and ОTV channels. It has to be kept in mind that AzTV, with its serious historical and creative traditions, is filled with enthusiasm due to A. Alyshanov"s dismissal after of more than ten years of his abortive, unprofessional management.

It has to be kept in mind that the adoption of some positive measures, including attraction of a certain part of professionals to the creative activity, raises hopes that the TV of this sort is likely to implement effective projects. Note that the current improvement of artistic-aesthetic level of many TV-programs on "Culture" channel is momentous as a positive tendency.

It has to be kept in mind that measures presently taken by B.T.Qasymov, a new head of PT, aimed at updating the TV-channel give grounds to believe in serious, well thought-out decisions. In other words, the TV-channel is eager to become closer to society through removing artificial barriers; to dialogue with viewers and deal with sensitive topics. From this standpoint, it is natural that viewers are benevolent to telecasts, dsuch as "Pressing","Dikdaban", "Radius" designed as a new format to discuss various problems. At any rate, these telecasts are notable for their high quality and new approaches.

The point is about the rise in frequency of daily telecast "Focus of attention. Totals" covering topical issues, including weekly crucial social-political events. Account has to be taken of the fact that in case where alternative ideas are lacking and prospects are questionable. As a matter of fact, this is important for functionaries seeking to control television, so comprehensive debates over topical issues on air are helpful in clearing out both local and world problems logically and consciously, not impulsively.

All views cited above go to prove that a well-organized television with its normal discussions plays an important role in turning an Azerbaijani viewer into an intellectual, creative and self-sufficient personality.