Professional public broadcasting essential for Azerbaijan's democratic future, says OSCE Office

BAKU, 21 November 2006 - The current challenges and future prospects of Azerbaijan's Public Television (PTV) were the focus of a roundtable discussion organized today by the OSCE Office in Baku.

Representatives of the presidential administration, non-governmental organizations, the diplomatic corps, as well as more than 50 experts exchanged views on PTV's ability to serve as an effective means of information and cross-cultural communication.

"Television is by far the most important source of information in Azerbaijan," said Ambassador Maurizio Pavesi, the Head of the OSCE Office.

"That's why we place so much emphasis on the professional development of the public broadcaster and hope that the recent OSCE report on PTV will help in this respect."

Ismayil Omarov, the General Director of PTV, listed some of the main achievements since the channel's launch last summer, but said there were still many challenges to be tackled.

"The OSCE report will be carefully studied by the team of PTV," he added. "I believe that a fruitful co-operation between our institutions will continue in the months and years to come."

Today's event will be followed by a seminar for government officials, media and civil society on the best practices of the public service broadcaster, the challenges independent journalism faces, as well as on regulation, accountability and transparency.