RUSSIAN LANGUAGE AS STUMBLING BLOCK BETWEEN PUBLIC TELEVISION OF ARMENIA AND ARMINFO
arminfo
2007-11-01 09:30:00
ArmInfo. The issue of efficiency of the state propaganda among the
non- Armenian and foreign audience has become the reason for break
of a multiyear cooperation between the Public Television of Armenia
and ArmInfo News Agency.
The subject of necessity to return the Russian language to air,
financed from the state budget of the Public Television of Armenia
(APT), as well as assurance of news broadcasting in foreign languages
for propaganda among the country’s wide non-Armenian population and
the foreign TV-audience was touched on by ArmInfo correspondent at
September 10, 2007, press-conference of Executive Director of APT
Alexander Arzoumanyan. Asked what measures does the APT intend to take
for active satellite broadcasting of InterAz TV channel and possible
broadcasting of Aztv Azerbaijani state TV channel in a number of RF
cities as well, including 7 hours per day in Russian language, APT
Director emphasized: ‘I do not think that the Russians will watch the
Azerbaijani TV all day long and tugged heartstrings. Our goal, to the
greater extent, is not a propaganda but preservation of the Armenian
language among the Diaspora. Therefore, our TV channel is transmitted
free of charge in many Russian cities by cable networks’. As for the
interests of Armenia’s Russian-speaking citizens, A. Arzoumanyan said:
‘There will be no return to the Russian language on TV air. I am
against broadcasting of programmes in various languages, including
the information programmes. The Public TV has not yet done much to
accustom the TV audience to watching TV films in Armenian. There are
few people in the country, who do not understand Armenian. If they
do not understand this language, let hem receive information from
other TV channels’.
Evidently, ArmInfo correspondent’s question concerning the prospects
of strengthening of Azerbaijani propaganda first of all on the soil
of Armenia’s key strategic ally Russia and in the West as well as
the interests of the Russian language population in the country
became the reason of deep insult of the leadership of the Armenian
Public Television and personally its Director Armen Arzoumanyan on
the agency’s stand.
Anyhow, we dare to remind the head of the most important TV channel
in Armenia that the Public Television has special functions i.e. a
heavy burden to carry, like the power representatives have repeatedly
stated. It is first of all the propaganda of state policy in abroad,
including to the foreign audience and foreign investors working
in Armenia and after all the protection of the interests of all
the sections of the population. Moreover, the poor knowledge of a
foreign language by APT leadership and partial attitude to it must
not determine the language policy on air.
Anyway, it is instructive to recall that the full refusal from Russian
language by the Public Television of Russia directly contradicts
the real picture of broadcasting in the country. Thus, from the
logic of strengthening and developing the Armenian-Russian strategic
cooperation and by a political decision of the Armenian leadership,
Russian TV channels ‘Perviy Kanal’ (‘First Channel’) , ‘RTR- Planeta’
(‘RTR-Planet’) and ‘Kultura’ (‘Culture’ ) are on the local frequencies
almost 24 hour. Another frequency is provided to the Russian language
Interstate TV and Radio Company ‘Mir’.
All this did not hold the head of the Armenian Public Television
from being resentful at ArmInfo News Agency. Shortly after the press
conference, A. Arzoumanyan decided to refuse from subscription
for e-news of the agency calling the correspondent’s question ‘a
provocation.’ It is noteworthy that ArmInfo did not want to butt into
"little nothings of life" and had not raised the issue of direct
negligence of contractual rights by the Public Television for long
years i.e. APT was constantly transferring ArmInfo’s news items to the
Armenian Public Radio, which has no relevant contract with ArmInfo,
without any additional payment. Nevertheless, the 15-year-long
cooperation broke today. In this respect, it remains for ArmInfo to
express satisfaction that it proved useful also for the large local
and foreign radio audience for such long period of time.