Azerbaijan bans all foreign TV shows

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet photo

The broadcasting of all foreign  TV shows has been banned in Azerbaijan as of today, in an effort to “support the domestic sector,” daily Milliyet reported.

The ban includes shows that have been dubbed in the Azerbaijani language. Turkish soap operas are included in the ban.

The head of Azerbaijan’s National Council of Televion and Radio, Nushirvan Meherremli, said the government is firm in its decision and will not back down from the ban.

A new legal regulation will first warn and then punish TV stations that broadcast foreign programming in violation of the ban. The punishment may be as severe as revoking a station’s broadcast license, the report said.

It is hoped that the ban will improve the domestic TV sector in Azerbaijan, Meherremli said.