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AIR POLITICS: DOES THE NEW TV LAW KILL HOPES FOR PLURALISM?
ArmeniaNow
Human rights | 22.06.10 | 14:42
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
A contest for TV frequencies will be held in Armenia on July 20. And
on its last day of spring session on June 10, the National Assembly
adopted the government-proposed amendments to the Law on Television
and Radio. The government explains the amendments are necessary in
view of switching to digital broadcasting in the country.
At present, Armenia has 22 television channels. A majority of
them broadcast for Yerevan only. Among these channels at least four
retransmit Russian channels, several others mostly offer entertainment
TV. All the other channels that report news and offer analytical
programs have a marked pro-government stance, with the exception of
Yerkir Media, a television company funded by the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). The party quit the ruling
coalition in April 2009 and declared itself opposition, but it opposes
the government mainly on foreign-policy issues and, to some extent,
on socio-economic issues, preferring not to touch on the issue of
the government's legitimacy. International bodies and local media
organizations do not consider that Yerkir Media ensures pluralism in
the broadcasting sphere.
The issue of A1 Plus, an independent TV channel controversially taken
off the air in 2002, stands out in the process. Since losing its
broadcasting license, the company has failed to win a single contest.
The adopted amendments do not look encouraging for the company in
terms of obtaining a broadcasting license. Chairman of the Board of the
Public Television of Armenia Alexan Harutyunyan said on June 18 that
"A1 Plus has become an 'idea fix' for international organizations." He
did not specify whether the amended broadcast legislation enabled A1
Plus to take part in the contest.
Since they were published the draft amendments have been criticized
by media organizations in Armenia and international bodies. Several
organizations, including the Yerevan Press Club, media support NGO
Internews, Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation Armenia issued
a special statement on June 6 in which they called on international
organizations not to assist the Government of the Republic of Armenia
in the process of broadcast digitalization until it has submitted a
revised bill.
United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ian Kelly reminded at the meeting of
the Permanent Council in Vienna that OSCE member countries have a
commitment to respect and protect fundamental human rights, such as
freedom of speech and the media. The U.S. Mission to the OSCE noted
that the amendments to the Armenian Law on Television and Radio were
likely to lead to reduction in plurality on television, as well as
to restricted access of the Armenian public to diverse information
and opinions.
In a statement issued earlier this month, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media, said Armenia's new law on TV
and radio "fails to promote broadcast pluralism in the digital era".
Among the major shortcomings Mijatovic identified the following: a
limit to the number of broadcast channels; a lack of clear rules for
the licensing of satellite, mobile telephone and online broadcasting;
the placement of all forms of broadcasting under a regime of licensing
or permission by the Regulator; the granting of authority to the
courts to terminate broadcast licenses based on provisions in the law
that contain undue limitations on freedom of the media; and a lack of
procedures and terms for the establishment of private digital channels.
In a letter dated June 15, Human Rights Watch, a global human rights
watchdog, urged Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan not sign the law and
instead return it to the National Assembly for continued deliberations.
HRW also reminded Armenia of its obligation to implement the June
17, 2008 European Court of Human Rights judgment finding Armenia in
violation of Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) in relation to A1
Plus's case. Despite this, President Sargsyan has signed the adopted
amendments into law.
What is remarkable in this whole story is that the Armenian authorities
have not retreated under pressure from public opinion and international
organizations. Experts say that it is connected with the intention
to retain full control over television in the period before the
parliamentary polls in 2012 and the presidential election in 2013.
From: A. Papazian
ArmeniaNow
Human rights | 22.06.10 | 14:42
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
A contest for TV frequencies will be held in Armenia on July 20. And
on its last day of spring session on June 10, the National Assembly
adopted the government-proposed amendments to the Law on Television
and Radio. The government explains the amendments are necessary in
view of switching to digital broadcasting in the country.
At present, Armenia has 22 television channels. A majority of
them broadcast for Yerevan only. Among these channels at least four
retransmit Russian channels, several others mostly offer entertainment
TV. All the other channels that report news and offer analytical
programs have a marked pro-government stance, with the exception of
Yerkir Media, a television company funded by the opposition Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). The party quit the ruling
coalition in April 2009 and declared itself opposition, but it opposes
the government mainly on foreign-policy issues and, to some extent,
on socio-economic issues, preferring not to touch on the issue of
the government's legitimacy. International bodies and local media
organizations do not consider that Yerkir Media ensures pluralism in
the broadcasting sphere.
The issue of A1 Plus, an independent TV channel controversially taken
off the air in 2002, stands out in the process. Since losing its
broadcasting license, the company has failed to win a single contest.
The adopted amendments do not look encouraging for the company in
terms of obtaining a broadcasting license. Chairman of the Board of the
Public Television of Armenia Alexan Harutyunyan said on June 18 that
"A1 Plus has become an 'idea fix' for international organizations." He
did not specify whether the amended broadcast legislation enabled A1
Plus to take part in the contest.
Since they were published the draft amendments have been criticized
by media organizations in Armenia and international bodies. Several
organizations, including the Yerevan Press Club, media support NGO
Internews, Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation Armenia issued
a special statement on June 6 in which they called on international
organizations not to assist the Government of the Republic of Armenia
in the process of broadcast digitalization until it has submitted a
revised bill.
United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ian Kelly reminded at the meeting of
the Permanent Council in Vienna that OSCE member countries have a
commitment to respect and protect fundamental human rights, such as
freedom of speech and the media. The U.S. Mission to the OSCE noted
that the amendments to the Armenian Law on Television and Radio were
likely to lead to reduction in plurality on television, as well as
to restricted access of the Armenian public to diverse information
and opinions.
In a statement issued earlier this month, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE
Representative on Freedom of the Media, said Armenia's new law on TV
and radio "fails to promote broadcast pluralism in the digital era".
Among the major shortcomings Mijatovic identified the following: a
limit to the number of broadcast channels; a lack of clear rules for
the licensing of satellite, mobile telephone and online broadcasting;
the placement of all forms of broadcasting under a regime of licensing
or permission by the Regulator; the granting of authority to the
courts to terminate broadcast licenses based on provisions in the law
that contain undue limitations on freedom of the media; and a lack of
procedures and terms for the establishment of private digital channels.
In a letter dated June 15, Human Rights Watch, a global human rights
watchdog, urged Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan not sign the law and
instead return it to the National Assembly for continued deliberations.
HRW also reminded Armenia of its obligation to implement the June
17, 2008 European Court of Human Rights judgment finding Armenia in
violation of Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) in relation to A1
Plus's case. Despite this, President Sargsyan has signed the adopted
amendments into law.
What is remarkable in this whole story is that the Armenian authorities
have not retreated under pressure from public opinion and international
organizations. Experts say that it is connected with the intention
to retain full control over television in the period before the
parliamentary polls in 2012 and the presidential election in 2013.
From: A. Papazian