BILL ON MAKING AMENDMENTS TO RA LAW ON "TELEVISION AND RADIO" ADOPTED BY FIRST READING

Noyan Tapa
Jul 2, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly adopted the
parcel of bills on making amendments and addenda to the RA Law on
Television and Radio with 79 "for", 16 "against", and 1 "abstaining"
votes at the special session held on June 29.

According to this parcel of bills, the activities of other broadcasting
organizations are unequivocally prohibited by the channels of Public
Television. A state duty of 70 thousand drams (about 200 U.S. dollars)
is defined for each broadcast of the programs of the national editorial
staff and service of foreign mass media by the television and radio
company operating in the RA territory.

Zharangutiun (Heritage), Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) factions,
as well as independent MPs, non-party Khachatur Sukiasian and Viktor
Dalakian, and Martun Grigorian, a member of Dashink (Alliance) party,
voted against this parcel of bills. Davit Haroutiunian, a member of
the RPA, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on state-legal
issues, and the former MInister of Justice, abstained from voting.

During the session the National Assembly also adopted three bills
discussed during the last three days by the first reading. These
three bills envisage to make amendments and addenda to the RA Laws on
"Simplified Tax", "Internatinal Treaties", and "The 2007 State Budget."