How Many Barrels of Oil Fuel the Operating Costs of Each of the Kurdistan Region's Top Media Channels?
It is well known among the populace of the Kurdistan Region that local media channels are funded through oil revenues. For instance, "Rudaw," the region's most famous channel, is often derisively nicknamed "Naftaw," blending the word for oil with "Rudaw" to suggest its funding source. With the region's oil sold on the black market and exported to Iran and other neighboring countries for around $40 a barrel, we have calculated the monthly operating costs of four of the most well-funded channels in terms of barrels of oil: Rudaw (owned by Nechirvan Barzani), Kurdistan24 (Masrour Barzani), Channel8 (Bafel Talabani), and AVA Media (Masrour Barzani).
This calculation is significant because oil is a public commodity, and its revenue is meant to benefit the public treasury. The operating costs include salaries and other expenses, based on publicly available information adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) in the region.
Rudaw: Monthly Operating Costs: 17,075 to 46,500 barrels.
Kurdistan24: Monthly Operating Costs: 15,000 to 33,875 barrels.
Channel8: Monthly Operating Costs: 12,500 to 25,000 barrels.
AVA media: Monthly Operating Costs: 12,500 to 25,000 barrels.
For reference - estimated Monthly Operating Costs in Dollars:
Rudaw: $683,000 to $1,860,000
K24: $600,000 to $1,355,000
Channel8: $500,000 to $1,000,000
AVA Media: $500,000 to $1,000,000