A1 Plus | 13:12:06 | 20-10-2004 | Official |
DINE URGES ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO HELP RETURN “AZATUTUN” TO TV AIRWAVES
RFE/RL President Thomas A. Dine today sent a letter to Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, denouncing the “Soviet-style” cancellation of the new
RFE/RL Armenian Service news and analysis program, “Azatutiun” by the
private Armenian television station Kentron. Dine urges President Kocharian
“to denounce this contemptible Soviet-style act, and to help return
“Azatutiun” to the air.”
In his letter, Dine asserts that he is “determined to get “Azatutiun” back
on the air and will make every effort to make that happen, including raising
this issue with the Bush Administration, the U.S. Congress, the Council of
Europe, and non-governmental organizations worldwide.”
“Azatutiun,” a new television program created by and featuring news and
analysis from RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, was abruptly pulled from the
schedule of the local Armenian television station “Kentron” on October 13,
three days after it debuted to rave reviews on Kentron. Although the
television station’s management has made no comment on the decision, it is
widely suspected that Kentron was pressured to suspend further broadcasts of
the program, either by official interests or local media competitors.
The suspension of the “Azatutiun” program has been widely covered in the
Armenian press. On October 14, “Aravot” daily alleged that the head of
Armenian state television and radio, Aleksan Harutiunian, was instrumental
in the ban because he wanted RFE/RL to lease airtime from his channel and
pay for that. Harutiunian, in an interview published by “Aravot” on October
15, denied any involvement in the suspension of “Azatutiun”. In his letter
to President Kocharian, however, Dine states that he has been “personally
informed that this cancellation was the result of pressure from a high-level
Armenian government official.”
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service broadcasts four hours of programming a day to
Armenia, produced in Prague and the service’s Yerevan Bureau and transmitted
to listeners via shortwave, satellite and FM, AM, Cable Radio, UKV and
longwave signals provided by local affiliate stations. Armenian Service
programming is also available via the Internet, at the service’s website
and at