GünAz TV
GünAz TV is an Azerbaijani-language television channel based in Chicago and broadcasting in Europe, West Asia, North Africa, and Central Asia. It is run by Ahmad Obali, who founded it in 2004. Ideologically, the television channel promotes a pan-Turkist viewpoint and supports ethnic Azerbaijani separatism in Iran.
History
The channel has its origins in 2004, when Ahmad Obali founded it with the self-proclaimed purpose of protecting the rights of Iranian Azerbaijanis. It seeks peaceful and cultural action against racism and discriminatory government policies in Iran. It was given the name GünAz, a portmanteau made up from "Güney Azərbaycan", which translates to "South Azerbaijan", a term used by Azerbaijani irridentists to describe Iranian Azerbaijan. In explaining his and his colleagues' goals, Ahmad Obali explained:“Our activists want an independent South Azerbaijan because we will do much better once we are independent. We can move toward a union with North Azerbaijan, join the Council of Europe, and embrace Western values."
The overwhelming majority of the channel's content has been anti-Iranian, with a 2014 study by an Iranian-Azerbaijani researcher finding that 86.64% of all programs broadcast on the channel have been aimed at portraying Iran negatively, without a single one portraying it positively.
In 2006, it was banned from broadcasting via Türksat in response to an Iranian complaint following the channel's calling on Iranian Azerbaijanis to engage in terrorism against the state during the 2006 protests in Iran, as well as a Turkish state investigation that concluded foreign intelligence agencies were behind its operation. From that point on, the channel has broadcast only from TelStar and Hot bird satellites. Reportedly, the loss of their ability to use Türksat heavily reduced the channel's viewership within Iran.
In 2019, GünAz TV played a role in the spreading the story of 's alleged rape by Iranian MP Salman Khodadadi by publishing an interview with her. The interview included several audio files that were claimed to be evidence of sexual assault. Khodadadi rejected the accusations made by her in the interview and was later tried and acquitted of charges by the Supreme Court.
Funding
According to Obali, GünAz TV receives all of its funding from viewer donations, being entirely independent of any governmental support. However, it has never publicly disclosed its financial resources or sources of funding.The government-backed Congress of World Azerbaijanis have also supported the channel. Asides from the Azerbaijani government, Turkey accused the American Central Intelligence Agency of renting the satellite channels used to host GünAz in 2006.