In Azerbaijan, a TV channel was punished due to a scandalous statement by a presenter

On April 1, an online meeting of the Audiovisual Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan was held. The meeting discussed the compliance with legislation of statements made by the host of the program Sözün bitdiyi an ("When Words End"), which aired on March 28 from 11:00 to 12:46 on Kanal S.

This was reported by the Audiovisual Council.

It is noted that first, the monitoring report and relevant legal opinion on this issue were reviewed, and council members expressed their opinions. After discussions, they came to a general conclusion that the program violated the requirements of Article 14.1.4 of the Republic of Azerbaijan's "Media Law" (racial, religious, gender, ethnic, and other discrimination should not be promoted). It was noted that the thoughts expressed by the host are a gross violation not only of ethical behavior norms but also of legislative requirements on gender equality and the inadmissibility of promoting any discrimination.

As a result, for the indicated violation, the punishment provided by law was applied in the form of suspension of broadcasting for the maximum period - a corresponding decision was made to suspend the broadcasting of Kanal S programs for 24 hours from 06:00 on April 4 to 06:00 on April 5. The management of Kanal S LLC was also required to ensure that hosts conduct their activities in accordance with the "Media Law".

"The Audiovisual Council, within the powers granted to it by the 'Media Law,' implements measures to ensure compliance with legislation and ensure media freedom in television and radio broadcasting. A number of social media users are appealing to the Audiovisual Council demanding the closure of certain TV programs, or the dismissal or suspension of a TV channel host.

We inform you that censorship in the media is prohibited in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and no individual or legal entity, institution, or state body can interfere with media freedom. The preparation and broadcasting of programs are carried out by the broadcaster itself within the framework of current legislation without any external interference. Only in case of violation of legal requirements (regardless of whether this violation was committed by a host, expert, or guest) can the legal measures of administrative penalty be applied to the broadcaster," the statement says.

Recall that Kanal S host Nigar Farhad expressed the following thoughts in the program "When Words End": "If I had a son, I would not be able to take a girl without a father as his wife, because from birth I saw in the family that a man at home should be a man. He should have a masculine character. A woman who does not understand submission to a man will never be able to make anyone's son happy."

These thoughts caused widespread discussion on social platforms. Social media users criticized the host, considering her speech inappropriate for broadcasting.