Armenian MPs fail to adopt changes to TV, radio law

Mediamax news agency
3 Jul 07

Yerevan, 3 July: The Armenian parliament did not adopt the package of
amendments and additions to the laws "On TV and radio" and "On the
state duty" in their second reading today.

Sixty-three MPs voted in favour of the amendments and two abstained,
Mediamax reports. At least 66 votes are needed to adopt amendments to
draft laws.

The opposition factions – Heritage and Orinats Yerkir (Law-Governed
Country) – did not participate in the voting.

The draft laws ban the operation of other broadcasting companies on the
frequencies of Armenian Public TV and Radio and establishes new duties
for rebroadcasting on private radio channels, Mediamax reports.

[Passage omitted: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today received a
delegation of the Ago monitoring group of the Council of Europe
Committee of Ministers. They touched on the amendments to the law on TV
and radio which are being discussed at the National Assembly]