GOVERNMENT MOVES TO END RFE/RL BROADCASTS IN ARMENIA
By Ruzanna Khachatrian and Karine Kalantarian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 27 2007

The National Assembly is due debate on Thursday government bills that
could end the Armenian-language broadcasts of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty, a key source of information for a considerable part of
Armenia’s population.

The two bills sent to the parliament late on Tuesday were swiftly
condemned by local media rights groups and top opposition leaders as an
attempt to muzzle what they regard as the only electronic media outlet
not controlled by the administration of President Robert Kocharian.

One of the proposed legal amendments would ban the Armenian Public
Television and Radio (HHHR) from retransmitting programs of foreign
broadcasters. RFE/RL’s Armenian Service primarily relies on the HHHR’s
radio frequencies to air its daily news programs across Armenia.

Under the other amendment, the private radio stations, which air some
of those programs, would have to pay hefty fees to the state budget.

Government officials have yet to explain the rationale for the
proposed changes which seem to have taken leaders of the parliament’s
pro-government majority by surprise. They on Wednesday praised RFE/RL’s
activities in Armenia but would not specify if they will urge fellow
lawmakers to reject the government initiative.

"I will express my view once the discussion begins," said parliament
speaker Tigran Torosian. "I think we should stay calm and wait until
the government rapporteur presents the bill and his arguments in
its favor."

The opposition minority in the parliament was quick to condemn the
bills, with Raffi Hovannisian, leader of the Zharangutyun (Heritage)
party, saying that he fears that they are a prelude to ending RFE/RL
broadcasts in Armenia.

"The prime minister and the government must be mindful of the goals
and consequences of their legislative initiatives," said Hovannisian.

"Zharangutyun will vote against them. We consider this a blow to the
interests of the Republic of Armenia and the rights of our citizens."

The condemnation was echoed by virtually all other major opposition
groups not represented in the recently elected legislature. "Radio
Liberty is the only free broadcaster operating in Armenia," said
Vazgen Manukian of the National Democratic Union. "Shutting it down
would mean shutting down Armenia. This would be the greatest disgrace
of recent years."

"Why are they doing this? Because they are afraid of Radio Liberty,"
said Aram Sarkisian, another prominent oppositionist. "Radio Liberty
is the only broadcaster which is independent and not controlled by
the authorities."

"During all these years our public received objective information
only from Radio Liberty’s Armenian service," agreed Grigor Harutiunian
of the People’s Party of Armenia. "In the run-up to the presidential
elections they are moving to strip the public of this sole source of
objective information."

RFE/RL had for decades served as one of the few sources of uncensored
information for the peoples of the Soviet Union and its Eastern
European satellites. The collapse of Communism enabled the U.S.-funded
corporation to legally operate inside the former Communist bloc and
reach retransmission agreements with local broadcasters.

RFE/RL’s Armenian service was likewise able to openly operate
in Armenia and lease state radio frequencies until being
controversially forced off the air in late 1994 by then President
Levon Ter-Petrosian. The move forced the service to rely only on the
far less accessible shortwave broadcasts from Europe.

Kocharian resumed the retransmission of its programs by state radio
shortly after he came to power in 1998. But in recent years, he
has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with RFE/RL’s coverage of
elections and other political developments in Armenia which he says
casts his administration only in a negative light.

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who intends to succeed Kocharian in
next year’s presidential election, has likewise criticized RFE/RL’s
news reporting and coverage of last month’s parliamentary elections
in particular. During the election campaign he specifically faulted
the Prague-headquartered broadcaster for quoting participants of
rallies held by his Republican Party as saying that they were forced
to attend the gatherings by government officials.

By contrast, RFE/RL’s election coverage has always been praised not
only by opposition politicians but also Western election observers.

The latter have been far more critical of the Armenian TV and radio
stations, virtually all of them loyal to the country’s leadership.

Armenia’s leading media associations take a similar view. Their
representatives expressed serious concern at the government bills,
saying that their main target is RFE/RL.

"They should have officially called it a bill on discontinuing
retransmission of the Radio Liberty programs," said Mesrop Harutiunian
of the Yerevan Press Club.

"I believe that both bills are directed against Radio Liberty,"
agreed David Sandukhchian, a lawyer at the media support group
Internews Armenia. "Their purpose is to at least complicate its work."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress