Media Review February 2, 2019

The beginning of the commercial activity of Azerspace-2, the termination of the printed version of a number of newspapers, and the situation with sugar production in the country are the leading topics of today's media.

The newspaper Azerbaijan writes about the beginning of commercial activity of the satellite Azerspace-2, which was put into orbit on September 26, 2018. This satellite covers countries in Europe, Central and South-West Asia, the Middle East and the countries of Tropical Africa. The satellite will provide high-quality telecommunication services. Primary agreements have already been signed for the use of satellite services with a number of companies in the United States, Pakistan and other countries. It is expected the use of the satellite will generate an income of $ 16.5 million in 2019. The minimum lifetime of the satellite is 20 years.

The newspaper Yeni Musavat writes that the print version of several newspapers will be discontinued. Executive Director of the State Media Support Fund Vugar Safarli explains the essence of the issue, revealing in detail the terms of the announced competitions for financing newspapers. The article states that of the 25 newspapers that received state aid the activities of 17 will be discontinued, and 8 newspapers will continue to publish their printed version.

The Azadliq.info website writes about financial losses at the Imishli Sugar Mill owned by Azersun Holding. It is about the loss of 180 million dollars. Production at the plant decreased by 54%, and exports by 59%. Usually, when import is limited, local production increases. However, in Azerbaijan, the oppression of local production causes a reverse process - an increase in losses. The Imishli Sugar Refinery is an example. In the article, the author reveals the details of the process of decline in sugar production in the country, as well as customs figures. -0-