BROADCASTING COSTS COVERED BY GOVERNMENT

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
01 June 05

Nikolay Baghdassarian: “The number and quality of TV channels
broadcast in the republic has improved over the past two or three
years. However, there are still problems to be solved. What steps
are taken in this direction?” Suren Mirzoyan: “Since 2004 the NKR
government has attended to the improvement of transmission of the TV
channel H1 and Artsakh Public Television in NKR. In 2004 the government
provided the necessary sums to Artsakhkap for buying equipment,
building and broadcasting.” N.B.: “It is already mid-2005. What was
done in a year and a half?” S.M.: “The administrative centres of
Hadrut, Martuni and Martakert and the adjacent villages watch the
two channels. In certain areas in Askeran broadcasting is hindered by
the geographical position and the relief. The Executive discusses an
improved package programme of development of telecommunications in the
republic, which was also funded by the government. Financial means
have been foreseen for each of the three years of the programme. In
December 2004 and January 2005 a satellite transponder was installed
in Karvachar to broadcast H1 24 hours a day. Technical problems were
solved in cooperation with Karabakh Telecom. Cooperation between
Artsakhkap and Karabakh Telecom is continuing (the mentioned area
was provided with cellular telephone communication). Currently,
it is urgent to receive the TV programmes of Artsakh, H1 and ORT
in Stepanakert and broadcast through the intermediate broadcasting
station to be built in Haterk and Karvachar. The capacity of the
transponders in Haterk has been improved, and the two TV programmes
are already available there. In the first quarter of 2005 a satellite
transmitter was placed in Chldran where the TV channel H1 was not
available because of interfering signals. In the broadcasting station
of Khachen (Seydishen) built by Karabakh Telecom two transponders
were installed to broadcast H1, Artsakh Television And ORT in
the villages located along the river Khachen. There were problems
connected with broadcasting these TV channels in the areas situated
between Berdashen and Ashan. The NKR government has provided funds
for solving the problem of broadcasting in Bersashen, Ashan, Nor Shen,
Hatsi, as well as the adjacent border areas of the region of Askeran.
The construction of the broadcasting station is close to completion,
the necessary equipment has been acquired and almost installed. The
broadcasting station will be operated in 10-15 days. In parallel
works are carried out in Kashatagh, Shushi and Berdadzor. A similar
broadcasting station is being built on the hill near Hin Shen. The
head of the regional administration of Shushi is in charge of control
and surveillance on the construction works (not all the hills
are connected with roads, and all the building materials for the
construction of this broadcasting station is transported by horses).
The broadcasting station will be operated in several days. The village
of Tumi is one of the remote villages of the region of Hadrut, and
we will not be mistaken to tell that it is cut off from the region. A
new transponder was installed for the village to broadcast ORT.” N.B.:
“There are controversies in reference to the broadcasting station of
Bovurkhan.” S.M.: “The quality of broadcasting of the TV channels H1
and Artsakh is impacted by the interfering signals. We have invited
specialists to normalize the work of the broadcasting station. Besides,
reconstruction works are carried out here to broadcast the mentioned
TV programmes by the second communication channel. This means that
we will have two new transistor transmitters which will provide
24 hours broadcasting of the TV channel H1, and the programmes of
Artsakh Public Television will be broadcast by the tenth metric
communication channel.” N.B.: “All these projects carried out in
2004 – 2005 were funded by the state budget of NKR. It is interesting
to know whether there are businessmen, benefactors or charities that
funded the implementation of any of these projects. Unfortunately,
there are not. Every programme implemented in this sphere was funded
by the state budget. We know that certain people pursuing certain aims
circulate information about projects implemented by them on the mans
provided by sponsors, but we do not know about any such project. I
want to add that the sums provided by the state budget since 2003
to improve the quality and area of broadcasting are increasing every
year. In 2004, 108 million drams was provided, in 2005 -138 million.
In the beginning I mentioned that we have development programmes for
the upcoming three years, with an estimated 50-60 million drams of
outlays, excluding the maintenance costs.”

NIKOLAY BGHDASSARIAN. 01-06-2005