Members of the Azerbaijani parliament support increasing funds allocated from the pubic budget to finance the Public Broadcasting Company (PBC). "The PBC justified all hopes so the funds allocated from the public budget to the organization should be increased," MP, Ana Vatan Party Chairman Fazail Agamali said today.

"One issue worrying me is financing the PBC," MP, Unified Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Chairman Gudrat Hasanguliyev said while discussing the budget. "This is the only budget-financed TV channel that well describes the activities of parliament, and provides airtime for MP speeches."

He said the PBC is the lowest-budget TV channel among members of the European Broadcasting Union. "The PBC is the highest-rated national channel," MP Fazail Ibrahimli said. In his view, the PBC plays an important role in preserving national and moral values. "Taking into account the work undertaken to preserve national values, it would be appropriate to pay more attention to the PBC," he said.

MP Aynur Guliyeva asked to review the funds to be allocated to the PBC in the 2010 draft budget. "The PBC is a channel addressing all social problems and serves the public interest," she said.

MP Ganira Pashayeva also backed this proposal. "The PBC is funded through the public budget," she said. "We all complain that there are not any telecasts on television meeting the required levels. Both in terms of public education and national and moral values, the PBC is the most successful TV channel and performs exactly this function. Therefore, the PBC's budget should be increased so they can create programs at an even higher level. This is a public television station, and it pays great attention to public education."