A privately owned channel, ATV has been in operation since 2000. Today, it is said to be the most popular channel in Azerbaijan.
Media assets
Television: ATV, ATV+, ATV Vivace, ATV Cinema
Radio: 106 FM, 106.3 FM
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Private (CaPr)
Ownership and governance
The channel has been owned by the family of the President Ilham Aliyev through Nazim Ibrahimov, a staunch ally of the president who has served in various positions in the government during the past decades. However, it is not clear now whether he continues to be the owner of the station. According to journalists specializing in Azerbaijan, the channel is controlled indirectly by the Aliyev family.
Source of funding and budget
There is no publicly available information about the budget of ATV. Azeri journalists abroad say that the channel receives substantial amounts of funding from the government.
Editorial independence
ATV is known as a station totally aligned with the interests of the Azeri government, particularly supportive of the president Aliyev, according to journalists covering Azerbaijan.
No domestic statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of ATV have been identified.
September 2023