YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 1-6, 2007
HIGHLIGHTS:
PROGRAMS OF RADIO LIBERTY ARMENIAN SERVICE NOW AIRED ON
"ARRADIOINTERCONTINENTAL"
ARMAN BABAJANIAN REFUSED AN EARLY RELEASE
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS DISCUSSED IN GUDAURI
PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE CHANGED
PROGRAMS OF RADIO LIBERTY ARMENIAN SERVICE NOW AIRED ON
"ARRADIOINTERCONTINENTAL"
Since September 1 the broadcasts of the Armenian Service of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty on the Public Radio of Armenia were stopped. Currently
the broadcasts of the Radio Liberty Armenian Service will be made only on
the frequencies of "ArRadioIntercontinental", in accordance with an
agreement signed with this private radio company and in force till September
16, 2008. The daily two-hour programs of Radio Liberty started to go on air
of "ArRadioIntercontinental" since August 15 with a simultaneous
transmission on Public Radio – till August 31. The change of the
broadcasting company, in opinion of the Director of the Armenian Service of
RFE/RL Atom Margarian, will result in a significant reduction of the
audience: "ArRadioIntercontinental" holds 23 transmitters, while PRA has 80
of them. Besides, Atom Margarian noted, the listeners complain of clutter on
the air.
As it has been reported, the issue of broadcasting the programs of the
RFE/RL Armenian Service on the Public Radio came into limelight in June 2007
– in the context of broadcasting amendments, submitted to the consideration
of the RA National Assembly. The drafts, developed by the Armenian
Government, proposed to prohibit the activities of other broadcasters on the
frequencies of the Public TV and Radio company, and a state duty was
stipulated, equal to 70,000 AMD (over $ 200) for "each issuance of a program
cycle of the national editorial office or a service of a foreign media by
the TV and Radio companies of the Republic of Armenia". These amendments
caused an outcry from a number of public, also journalistic, organizations
and political parties, who qualified them as an attempt to stop the
broadcasts of the Radio Liberty and restrict the freedom of expression. The
drafts failed at the parliament through only one vote unscored (see details
in YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 30 – July 5, 2007 and June 22-29, 2007).
Meanwhile, as it became known in the course of discussion of the drafts
above, the term of agreement between PRA and RFE/RL had expired in February
2007, and the negotiations about its prolongation yielded no result.
On July 6 the Council of Public TV and Radio Company resolved to stop airing
the programs of local and foreign broadcasters on the Public TV and Radio
from August 9. As noted in the explanation of the PTRC Council, the decision
was made "considering international experience of the activities of public
TV and radio companies" (quoted by "Hayastani Hanrapetutiun" daily, July 26,
2007). This decision affected not only Radio Liberty: in August the
broadcasts of "Tsayg" TV company of Gyumri on the 6th VHF that the TV
company had been using jointly with "Shirak" public television was stopped.
The same is true for the program of "Mir" Interstate TV and Radio Company on
the Public Radio of Armenia.
ARMAN BABAJANIAN REFUSED AN EARLY RELEASE
On July 19 the commission on early release and release on parole refused the
petition about the early release of the Chief Editor of "Zhamanak-Yerevan"
newspaper Arman Babajanian. As it has been reported, on September 8, 2006
the court of primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of
Yerevan sentenced Arman Babajanian to 4 years’ imprisonment for document
fraud to evade military service. On January 12, 2007 the RA Court of Appeals
reduced the punishment to 3.5 years’ imprisonment, and the cassation
challenge of the journalist’s attorneys was later refused (see YPC Weekly
Newsletter, March 9-15, 2007).
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS DISCUSSED IN GUDAURI
On July 20-23 in Gudauri (Georgia) a seminar "Political Developments in the
South Caucasus and Armenian-Georgian Relations: Reflection in Media" was
held. The event was organized by Yerevan Press Club and Friedrich Ebert
Foundation. It brought together representatives of media, public, also
journalistic, organizations of Armenia and Georgia.
The presentations and speeches of the seminar participants reflected "the
views from Yerevan and Tbilisi" on the main problems of the region,
relations between Armenia and Georgia and the possibilities for regional
cooperation. In particular, such issues were discussed as the role of media
in the European integration context for South Caucasus, the GUAM summit in
Baku and its coverage in the media of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, new
schemes for cooperation in the region, their impact on the relations between
the countries of South Caucasus and their reflection in media and public
opinion, the cooperation of journalists in South Caucasus, Armenian-Georgian
relations in pre-election platforms and public activities of political
parties, coverage of problems of national minorities in the regions of
interethnic tension by media of Armenia and Georgia.
PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE CHANGED
Since July 23 the press-secretary of the new RA Minister of Justice Gevorg
Danielian is Lana Mshetsian, previously the correspondent of "Golos Armenii"
newspaper. The former press-secretary of the former Minister of Justice
David Harutiunian Anahit Voskanian had quit the position.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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