A1 Plus | 16:58:01 | 31-03-2005 | Politics |

WE WILL IMPROVE THE SITUATION BY OWN STRENGTH

It’s three years already since A1+ TV Company was deprived of air. Today
a press conference was held in the House of Journalists to officially
announce that April 2 at 12.00 p.m. local time on the initiative of
several public organizations a protest procession will start from Grigor
Lusavorich 12 and finish at the monument to Komitas.

To remind, April 2, 2002, the National TV and Radio Committee held a
contest and deprived A1+ of air. “The problem is not that our team has
not worked for three years already; we have deliberately lowered the
standards”, Director of the A1+ TV Meltex LTD. Mesrop Movsisyan stated
when commenting of the professional level of the journalists. In the
beginning of his speech he recollected that three years ago he foretold
that 2 or 3 years later the closed company will become even more
dangerous for the incumbent leadership. In Movsisyan’s opinion, his
forecast has come true.

During three years A1+ has 8 times participated in TV frequency tenders
and 8 times it was rejected. For over a year the National TV and Radio
Committee has not announced any tenders alleging the absence of free
frequencies. Minister of Transport and Communications Andranik Manukyan
also states that the International Telecommunication Union does not
provide frequencies. “The Union has provided Armenia with 21-69
frequency range while the Minister making statements of the kind has
forgotten that presently there are 9 free frequencies – 33, 43, 53, 54,
65,66, 67, 68, 69”, Mr. Movsisyan said. “We are losing our culture, our
people and ourselves in this country”, he added noting that the protest
actions have been initiated not for the sake of A1+ only. The aim of the
public journalist organizations is to find a way for settling the
situation, as the authorities “are not absolutely unwilling to find a
way-out”.

To note, A1+ can also remain roofless. April 5 in the Economic Court
will hear the suit brought by the National Academy of Sciences. Lawyer
Tirgan Ter-Yesayan representing the interests of A1+ noted that the
proceedings will be «hot». The NAS chairman took into court as it failed
to fulfill the order of the government and the decree 39 by the RA
President of 02.10.03. “The government decided to convey the building
from one party to another neglecting the interests and rights of the
organizations acting in it, Tirgan Ter-Yesayan said. “If the court
officers take our property out into the street, not A1+ but the
President and Prime Minister should be ashamed, since they will
demonstrate their attitude towards press», Mesrop Movsisyan stated.

It should be also noted that the A1+’s suit is already being heard in
the European Court. The company has already informed the court of the
advisability of presence of its representative at the hearings.