PARLIAMENT BLOCKS GOVERNMENT BILL ON TV REGULATION
By Ruzanna Khachatrian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 3 2006

The Armenian parliament rejected on Tuesday a controversial government
bill that envisages important changes in the formation of a powerful
state body regulating television and radio broadcasts in the country.

The bill was backed only by 46 of the 131 members of the National
Assembly after being strongly criticized by Armenia’s leading media
associations. It was also rejected by parliament deputies representing
the opposition minority and the governing Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).

Its main stated purpose is to make the controversial National
Commission on Television and Radio (HRAH) more independent of
President Robert Kocharian in line with one of the recently enacted
amendments to Armenia’s constitution. Under the existing law, Kocharian
single-handedly appoints all of its nine members.

The proposed changes would reduce that number to eight and empower
the president of the republic to name only half of the commission
members. The other four members would be chosen by the parliament.

The HRAH would also have to "substantiate in a proper manner" the
distribution and withdrawal of television and radio frequencies.

In a joint statement, the Yerevan Press Club, the Armenian Union of
Journalists and three other groups said the proposed changes do not
ensure the HRAH’s independence, arguing that it would take years
before the composition of the Kocharian-controlled body changes
significantly. They suggested that the new HRAH have 16 members,
half of whom would be appointed by the parliament at once.

The media groups object to the government’s desire to give additional
powers to the broadcast regulator. They say this would make the
distribution and withdrawal of broadcasting licenses more arbitrary
and discretionary.

Speaking in the National Assembly last week, Justice Minister David
Harutiunian said the government is ready to accept some of these
suggestions but only after the bill is adopted in the first reading.

Parliament speaker Tigran Torosian backed this approach, urging fellow
lawmakers to vote for the draft law. Most of them clearly failed to
heed the call, however.