Number of TV companies to decrease in Armenia by 2015

PanARMENIAN.Net - On May 18, Armenia’s parliament discussed a bill on making changes and amendments to the RA Law on Television and Radio.

Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Mushegh Tumasyan said that the bill submitted by the RA government aims to digitize the radio and television broadcasting. According to Tumasyan, the radio and television broadcasting will be improved in two stages – digitizing stage (until 2015) and development stage.

The Deputy Minister noted that under the draft law the number of Armenia’s TV companies will be decreased from 22 to 18, so that 18 TV companies are able to provide both analogue and digital broadcasting during the digitizing stage.

Member of Heritage parliamentary group Armen Martirosyan strictly criticized the bill. According to him, it will restrict pluralism in Armenia and may serve as a reason for another resolution by the PACE. “The bill submitted by the government pursues a political goal – it aims to reduce the number of TV companies during the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in the country, so that it is easy to control them,” Martirosyan said.

Member of the RA parliament Viktor Dallakyan said that one can say that the pre-electoral campaign of the parliamentary elections of 2012 has started through submission of this bill. According to him, the bill provides the country’s leadership with the opportunity to decide on themes to be discussed during TV programs.

Dallakyan added that the bill is unacceptable and the government should withdraw it, as in case of the bill’s adoption Armenia’s authorities will be able to implement total control over television broadcasting.