A unified regulatory body, the Media and Broadcasting Council, is set to be established in Azerbaijan to oversee the media landscape.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, this initiative involves proposed amendments to the laws "On Public Service" and "On Media." The draft legislation was discussed during today's session of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) Committee on Human Rights.
During the session, it was noted that the modern era necessitates a more agile and collegial mechanism for managing the media sector to ensure national information security and the economic independence of the press. This approach is designed to address the blurring lines between print, online, and audiovisual media, requiring a unified regulatory framework for the entire information ecosystem.
Officials emphasized that the creation of the Media and Broadcasting Council, with its collegial management model, is intended to bolster media independence and increase public trust. The proposed changes to the "On Media" law outline the specific duties and obligations of the new Council, ensuring it functions as an effective regulatory mechanism.
Furthermore, the legislative package includes necessary adjustments to the law "On Public Service" to accommodate the authority of the new Council. Overall, these reforms aim to modernize regulatory standards, strengthen enforcement mechanisms, ensure legal certainty, and align Azerbaijan's media sector with international best practices.
The establishment of this Council represents a significant step in the ongoing development of Azerbaijan's media infrastructure, following previous initiatives to support digital transformation and professional standards within the national press.
