ITV (public TV) prices make political advertising inaccessible

Baku / 14.01.20 / Turan: On January 17, election campaigning begins in the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.

According to the Electoral Code, free airtime for campaigning on ITV is provided to parties and a bloc of parties that have registered candidates in more than 60 constituencies.

The same entities can get free seats on the pages of state newspapers: Azerbaijan, Khalg, Respublika and Baku Worker. All other candidates can campaign in the media only on a paid basis.

It is noteworthy that not a single television, with the exception of ITV, expressed a desire to provide airtime for paid campaigning.

On ITV, a second of political advertising will cost 22-65 manats depending on the time, and 7-25 manats on public radio.

According to observers, only the ruling New Azerbaijan Party will be able to register candidates in more than 60 constituencies.

The head of the Musavat party, Arif Hajili, called the cost of paid airtime too high and inaccessible to candidates from this organization.

According to Hajili, “Musavat” appealed to the CEC with a request to ensure that each candidate is given 10 minutes of airtime, as well as to organize debates.

In addition, Musavat offers to allocate airtime three times a week for election debates. However, the party  has not received an answer.

The Musavat Party, in the absence of access to the air, will prefer the distribution of posters, live communication with citizens, and the possibility of social media.

Natig Jafarli, Executive Secretary of the REAL Party, also considers the prices for ITV for paid campaigning not affordable.

“Expensive political advertising is not just expensive. There is still the problem of “political censorship,” Jafarli said.

Media rights expert Alesker Mammadli called an abnormal situation where political advertising is 15 times more expensive than commercial.

In prime time, ITV set the tariff for 1 minute at 4602 manat. This can be regarded as a desire to prevent the broadcast of alternative opinions,” Mammadli said. –D06-