TV Overdub

Isolation of Azerbaijan from the World, or final step towards independence from nasty neighbours?. Neither - but, probably the right time to buy Cable TV and watch The BBC!

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend E. Huseynli/ The broadcast of films in foreign languages with low quality dubbing on the TV channels of Azerbaijan have been
stopped. “The dubbing of films in TV channels is of low quality”, the head of the National Television and Radio Council of Azerbaijan (NTRC), Nushirevan Meherremli, said to Trend on 7 January. According to Meherremli, the main issue is the broadcast of films in the native language. The quality of the dubbing will be improved gradually. No TV channel will be made to compromise in connection to broadcasting films in foreign languages, added the head of NTRC. In March, at a meeting of the Council, it was decided from 1 January 2008 to totally ban the broadcast of films (feature and documentary) in foreign languages via Azerbaijani TV channels. As the Turkish language is similar to the Azerbaijani language this was not included on the list of banned films. The Council ordered all TV channels to dub foreign films into the Azerbaijani language from the beginning of next year. Those who ignore the order will be suspended. According to Meherremli, the number of films on TV channels will naturally decrease. The Dubbing Studio has been established at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Seven republic and 14 regional TV channels function in Azerbaijan.