SOCAR Media, a subsidiary of the state-owned oil giant SOCAR, operates several media outlets, including the CBC, Dalga and Khazar television stations, along with a number of radio channels.
Media assets
Television: CBC, CBC Sport, Dalga TV, Khazar TV
Radio: Khazar FM, 100.5 FM, Araz FM
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
SOCAR Media, wholly owned by the state-run oil company SOCAR, has experienced significant growth in recent years. Its most recent acquisition, Khazar TV, was finalized in the first half of 2020. The television station is managed by the Caspian Media Center, a company SOCAR intends to incorporate into its media division, SOCAR Media, fully. Azeri journalists and experts interviewed for this report in March 204 have confirmed this information.
Source of funding and budget
Public information regarding the budget of SOCAR Media is not available. However, Azeri journalists based overseas interviewed for this report in March 2024 suggest that the media outlets under SOCAR Media’s management generate revenue through advertising sales and also receive substantial financial support from the state-owned parent company that controls them.
Editorial independence
SOCAR, a significant financial contributor to the Aliyev regime, is recognized as a major industrial powerhouse. The company aims to establish a robust media division to cement the government’s dominance over the nation’s mass media. SOCAR Media, known for its entertainment-focused outlets, is reportedly fully aligned with the regime. According to Azeri journalists and experts interviewed for this report in March 2024, their news content entirely supports the government.
No domestic statute or independent assessment mechanism to validate the editorial independence of the media outlets run by SOCAR Media has been identified.
August 2024