RADIO STATIONS REFUSE TO PAY HIGHER FREQUENCY TARIFFS

Armenpress
Jan 15 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS: Recently chief managers of eight
Armenian radio stations sent a letter to the country’s president,
parliament chairman, prime minister and transport and communication
minister in which they protested against what they called ‘an illegal
decision’ of the transport and communication ministry to raise the
fee for use of radio frequencies from the current 600,000 drams to
900,00. Radio managers demanded the country’s leadership’s intervention
to prevent this ‘illegal decision from taking effect."

In response the communication and transport ministry said today it
had discussed the letter in question and will soon offer a compete
explanation grounding the rise.

The owners of radio stations refuse to pay the higher fee claiming the
minister’s decision is unconstitutional. They demand that this issue be
settled by a relating law saying the amount of frequency tariff and the
procedure of payment should be defined by a law, and not by a minister.