ANS Group of Companies

{{Update|date=November 2017}}

The ANS Group of Companies is a news and broadcasting company in Azerbaijan.{{cite web

| url = http://www.humanrightshouse.org/dllvis5_print.asp?id=4959

| title = Human Right House

| accessdate = 2008-07-22

}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web

| url = http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1073092.html

| title= Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

| accessdate=2008-07-22 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080907042808/http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1073092.html| archivedate=September 7, 2008| url-status=live}}

It was founded by three young Azeri journalists, brothers Vahid and Seyfulla Mustafayev in 1990. The Company name, ANS, derives from the first letters of Azerbaijan News Service. ANS was the first privately owned company in the former Soviet Union.{{cite web

|url = http://www.un-az.org/undp/bulnews44/m5new.php#First_FM_radio_station

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110724211537/http://www.un-az.org/undp/bulnews44/m5new.php#First_FM_radio_station

|url-status=dead

|archive-date = 2011-07-24

|publisher = UNDP

|title = Azerbaijan Development Bulletin

|accessdate = 2008-07-22

|df =

}} {{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.ans.co.uk/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=ANS |language=en-GB}}

Being an independent news company, ANS Group of Companies has played a significant role in the development of the independent media in Azerbaijan.{{cite web

| url = http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav102606.shtml

| title= Eurasia insight

| accessdate=2008-07-22 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080813020755/http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav102606.shtml| archivedate= 13 August 2008 | url-status=live}} Currently ANS Group of Companies owns four sub-companies: ANS TV, ANS ChM, ANS Press and ANS Kommers (Also first Azerbaijan Watches maker Company VMF). The group has also been known for its outspokenness, as seen through its media outlets.{{Cite web |title=ANS GROUP OF COMPANIES STRONGLY CONDEMN BEATING OF JOURNALIST |url=https://azertag.az/en/xeber/ANS_GROUP_OF_COMPANIES_STRONGLY_CONDEMN_BEATING_OF_JOURNALIST-547704 |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=azertag.az |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Azerbaijan suspends license of ANS TV |url=https://www.commonspace.eu/azerbaijan-suspends-license-ans-tv |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=commonspace.eu |language=en}}