Government felt a hole in its pocket?
The government put a hand in its pocket and felt a hole-this is how Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan explained why only 18 out of the 22 television stations would be digitalized.
Representatives of a number of international organizations, experts, local mass media outlets and representatives of non-governmental organizations discussed today the government's proposed draft law for making changes in the RA law on "Television and Radio" by the initiative of the OSCE office. Attending the discussion was RA Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan who noticed that there was no dialogue after a short while.
Nersis Yeritsyan said the folliowing in response to the criticisms for not giving clarifications to the issues related to the draft law and not putting the draft law up for public discourse. "You're waiting for a paper to come out so you can start criticizing it."
The Minister announced that the draft law had been put up for public discussion and is currently being discussed at the National Assembly. In response to the Minister's announcement, NA Deputy Anahit Bakhshyan said although NA committee on education, science and culture had not discussed the draft law and the deputies were not aware of it, it had been put up for discussion.
According to the draft law, the government is taking control over the entire process of digitalizing television networks that will receive the license for broadcasting. Apparently, if this draft law is approved, all television stations will be under the government's control.
"We were all aware of this, but this specifies the control mechanisms even more and it is not sincere to make references to international experience," president of the "Committee in Defense of Freedom of Speech" Ashot Melikyan told "A1+". International experts participating in today's discussion were concerned about the monopoly of digitalization and said it must not only be implemented by the government.
Why was the draft law brought to the National Assembly in such a rush? What was the goal? In response to that, the Minister of Economy said: "We had to introduce it sooner or later. It's a procedure. The government takes a decision and presents it to the National Assembly. This was the response for this decision because everyone has his or her own prejudices, but the government doesn't."
President of the National Commission on Television and Radio Grigor Amalyan was by
Nerses Yeritsyan's side when the latter assured "A1+" that online broadcasting would not be affected by the adoption of the law. He announced that the change would give "A1+" 18 chances to come back on air.
"Yes, "A1+" will have the opportunity to participate in the contest 18 times and since those contests are "free", "fair" and transparent, "A1+" will lose 18 times again," said expert of the "Committee in Defense of Freedom of Speech" Mesrop Harutyunyan, smiling.
