ARMENIAN TV COMPANIES MENTION NAME OF LEVON TER-PETROSIAN IN OBVIOUSLY NEGATIVE CONTEXT

Noyan Tapan
Dec 10 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The attention of the broadcast mass
media towards the two candidates running for presidency, that is Levon
Ter-Petrosian and Serge Sargsian, considerably increased in November.

However, the name of the first President of the Republic of Armenia
is mentioned in an obviously negative context in the programs of the
Public Radio and a number of Armenian TV companies, a thing, which has
not been observed with regard to any other political figure. This was
mentioned in the intermediate report of the observation conducted
jointly by the Yerevan Press Club and the Team research center,
which was introduced on December 10.

As Boris Navasardian, the Chairman of the Yerevan Press Club,
mentioned, at present, an unprecedented phenomenon is being observed
in the Armenian air: even neutral coverages concerning one of the
political figures of Armenia are yielding to negative ones in terms of
quantity: there are 196 neutral and 10 positive coverages. According
to him, only "Yerkir Media" TV Company remained neutral to some extent
in the programs concerning Levon Ter-Petrosian and Serge Sargsian.

It was mentioned that in comparison with October, the editorial
coverages concerning Gagik Tsarukian, the Leader of the Bargavach
Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) party, have been almost two-fold more
frequently broadcast by the H2, Kentron and ALM TV Companies.

According to Boris Navasardian, Tigran Karapetian, the Chairman of
the People’s Party, takes first place, according to the gross indices
of the broadcast time among the observed mass media. However, his
priority has been provided due to one TV company: the ALM TV company,
which belongs to him.

Besides the above-mentioned TV companies, the Public and Shant TV
companies as well have been subject to observation.