Fast Facts In an environment of total government control over national television and radio channels, Radio Azadliq has a firm reputation as the only source of unbiased information and the most professional media outlet in Azerbaijan. Language: Azerbaijani Coverage: 10 hours daily Established: 1953 Distribution: Radio (SW, Satellite-Turksat&Hotbird), Internet (www.azadliq.org / www.azadliqradiosu.az), weekly newspaper (circulation: 10,000) Locations: Prague headquarters, Baku Staff: 6 (Prague), 18 (Baku), 22 stringers Most popular international broadcaster in Azerbaijan.

History

• Radio Azadliq was established in 1953, broadcasting on SW to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan.
• Radio Azadliq launched its award-winning website in 2004. It is now one of the most popular news websites in Azerbaijan.
• In 2007, Radio Azadliq began broadcasting on FM 101.7 to Baku. As of December 2008, Radio Azadliq, along with the BBC and Voice of America, has been banned from broadcasting on local FM and MW frequencies.

 

Media Environment

• Freedom House Freedom of the Press Index, 2010: Not Free (172nd/196)
• Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, 2011: 162nd/179
• The government of President Ilham Aliyev heavily censors all media and as of December 2008, Radio Azadliq, along with the BBC and Voice of America, is banned from broadcasting on local FM and MW frequencies.
• In an environment of total government control over the television and local radio channels, as well as the serious decline of the print media industry in Azerbaijan, Radio Azadliq became a very important tool of political and public pluralism in the country. Radio Azadliq has a firm reputation as the only source of unbiased information and the most professional media outlet in Azerbaijan.

 

Highlights

• Radio Azadliq's weekly newspaper, Think Differently, was launched in December 2009. 10,000 copies are printed weekly, and distributed by hand in Baku and other regions. The paper contains a digest of the best radio and internet content, in order to circumvent the ban on international broadcasters using national radio frequencies in Azerbaijan as of December 2008.
• Radio Azadliq launched the highly popular "Corruptionmeter" page on their website in 2009, which seeks to inform citizens about their laws and rights and give advice on how to fight corruption.
• In 2009, Radio Azadliq launched a Russian-language section on its website to provide news and information for Russian-speaking citizens in Azerbaijan.
• Radio Azadliq broke the story about the arrest of the Azerbaijani bloggers who made the satirical "Donkey" video mocking corruption in Azerbaijan, and provided extensive and exclusive coverage of their case and trial which was widely cited in international media.
• Recent Awards: Open Society Institute and the Center for Support to Economic Initiatives 2010 Investigative Journalism Prize, Radio Azadliq reporter Malahat Nasibova won the prestigious Rafto Prize in 2009 for her reporting on human rights and abuses of power in Azerbaijan, Association for International Broadcasting 2009 Media Excellence Award.
• International media organizations relied on Radio Azadliq as their primary source of coverage on Azerbaijan’s October 2008 presidential elections and March 2009 referendum on constitutional amendments. Radio Azadliq was also the only source to reveal and document abuses and fraud during the campaign and on election day.
• A report exposing corruption in government agencies and a blog post on modern women’s issues earned top awards for Radio Azadliq's reporters in 2009.
• Radio Azadliq receives hundreds of text messages and phone calls from viewers and listeners every day that help to inform its outlook, priorities and coverage. Its program “Hotline” promotes citizen journalism by investigating complaints or situations submitted to the radio by Azerbaijani citizens.
• Radio Azadliq was the first international media company to break the story about the Soviet invasion of Azerbaijan on January 20, 1990.

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Population:
8.78 (World Bank estimate, 2009)

Most Common Languages:
Azeri, Armenian, Russian, Lezgi, 

Press Freedom Index (Freedom House):
Not Free, ranked 172 out of 196 (2010)

Press Freedom Index (RSF):
162 out of 179 (2011)

Corruption Index (Transparency Int.):
143 out of 180 (2010)

Global Peace Index (IES):
119 out of 149 (2010)

Human Rights Watch:
Report on Azerbaijan (2010)

Amnesty International:
Azerbaijan Report (2009)