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SERZH SARGSYAN GUARANTEES THIS SITUATION
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview26878.html
Published: 11:45:50 - 18/07/2012
Vahan, recently a group of intellectuals and NGOs addressed Serzh
Sargsyan, expressing their indignation about the quality of TV content,
aggressive criminal and anti-social TV shows. In your opinion, should
this issue be addressed to Serzh Sargsyan and will they be able to
change television?
I am deeply convinced that the first person of the republic has
encouraged and guaranteed the situation on the TV market or rather
the TV bazaar. When I was asked to sign that letter, I refused because
I think it is a misunderstanding to address the issue to someone who
guarantees its persistence. The Armenian television is lack of content,
proselytism of immorality, violence, ignorance. It is a leverage that
has been used for 20 years and has helped achieve the goal. The past
elections showed that the population is misled, ignorant, devoid
of any idea of morality and cannot have any expectations. Besides,
the wish to change and correct something must wake up in part of
the society but I repeat it is misunderstanding and infantilism to
turn to the head of state to create a new system, a new structure,
to believe that he will get to clean up this sector.
But now see what danger it will bring. When part of the intelligentsia
comes up with such a proposal to the head of state, an institution
may be set up to supervise this sector under the pressure of the
intellectuals will certainly work for the government. In other words,
using spontaneous public actions they will set up another body that
will limit freedom of speech.
Nevertheless, a lot of people say there is considerable change of the
situation of freedom of speech on television, it has become more free.
Can you notice this?
It is certainly noticed but these are manipulations intended to relieve
tension. There is a certain sifter through which the entire information
of the public channels passes first before it is made available to
public. But there is a kind of information which has no chance to pass
through this sift and appear on TV. These effects are superficial,
they are expressions of public fury but as to me, they cannot have me.
So, television is hopeless? Many people think it is possible to
change everything in 5 minutes if professionals and not businessmen
run TV companies.
Imagine that I order the content, and my goal is to distort the system
of values, misled people, destroying understanding of morality, of
what is acceptable, what is not, blur standards, categories. And when
my main leverage is television and radio, how can I let it go? The
proposal to improve the quality is expectations hanging in the air.
Who will bring quality, where will professionals emerge, which
government agency should bring them? There cannot be professionals
in this system because the system works so that professionalism is
not presupposed.
The people who signed that letter are usually silent about one issue
or another. This time they spoke up.
I told the authors of this initiative that they are opening a door
which may act as manipulation today but during the elections it will
work to a different end.
In terms of motivation the cause and effect relation is clear. But
we must accept that this is politics, this means intruding in one
of the key political leverages, this is not a game of one step,
one must understand the consequences, especially that everything,
starting from the issue of Mashtots Park finishing with television
depends on the president. In other words, the impression on the eve
of the elections is that the only person who can solve problems in
our state is the head of state. This is evident. By the way, in the
period of the past elections Serzh Sargsyan holds the monopoly of
the pre-election game. Even the party structure is such that nobody
except the president can solve problems.
Do you notice change in the society?
I see a small part of the society is interested in public values and
interests, fights for these values. To tell you the truth, I fully rely
on them because only people with such qualities are able to wake the
society, restore the system of values and create a dignified future.
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview26878.html
Published: 11:45:50 - 18/07/2012
Vahan, recently a group of intellectuals and NGOs addressed Serzh
Sargsyan, expressing their indignation about the quality of TV content,
aggressive criminal and anti-social TV shows. In your opinion, should
this issue be addressed to Serzh Sargsyan and will they be able to
change television?
I am deeply convinced that the first person of the republic has
encouraged and guaranteed the situation on the TV market or rather
the TV bazaar. When I was asked to sign that letter, I refused because
I think it is a misunderstanding to address the issue to someone who
guarantees its persistence. The Armenian television is lack of content,
proselytism of immorality, violence, ignorance. It is a leverage that
has been used for 20 years and has helped achieve the goal. The past
elections showed that the population is misled, ignorant, devoid
of any idea of morality and cannot have any expectations. Besides,
the wish to change and correct something must wake up in part of
the society but I repeat it is misunderstanding and infantilism to
turn to the head of state to create a new system, a new structure,
to believe that he will get to clean up this sector.
But now see what danger it will bring. When part of the intelligentsia
comes up with such a proposal to the head of state, an institution
may be set up to supervise this sector under the pressure of the
intellectuals will certainly work for the government. In other words,
using spontaneous public actions they will set up another body that
will limit freedom of speech.
Nevertheless, a lot of people say there is considerable change of the
situation of freedom of speech on television, it has become more free.
Can you notice this?
It is certainly noticed but these are manipulations intended to relieve
tension. There is a certain sifter through which the entire information
of the public channels passes first before it is made available to
public. But there is a kind of information which has no chance to pass
through this sift and appear on TV. These effects are superficial,
they are expressions of public fury but as to me, they cannot have me.
So, television is hopeless? Many people think it is possible to
change everything in 5 minutes if professionals and not businessmen
run TV companies.
Imagine that I order the content, and my goal is to distort the system
of values, misled people, destroying understanding of morality, of
what is acceptable, what is not, blur standards, categories. And when
my main leverage is television and radio, how can I let it go? The
proposal to improve the quality is expectations hanging in the air.
Who will bring quality, where will professionals emerge, which
government agency should bring them? There cannot be professionals
in this system because the system works so that professionalism is
not presupposed.
The people who signed that letter are usually silent about one issue
or another. This time they spoke up.
I told the authors of this initiative that they are opening a door
which may act as manipulation today but during the elections it will
work to a different end.
In terms of motivation the cause and effect relation is clear. But
we must accept that this is politics, this means intruding in one
of the key political leverages, this is not a game of one step,
one must understand the consequences, especially that everything,
starting from the issue of Mashtots Park finishing with television
depends on the president. In other words, the impression on the eve
of the elections is that the only person who can solve problems in
our state is the head of state. This is evident. By the way, in the
period of the past elections Serzh Sargsyan holds the monopoly of
the pre-election game. Even the party structure is such that nobody
except the president can solve problems.
Do you notice change in the society?
I see a small part of the society is interested in public values and
interests, fights for these values. To tell you the truth, I fully rely
on them because only people with such qualities are able to wake the
society, restore the system of values and create a dignified future.