ArmInfo.The Armenian leadership is not trying in any way to influence the freedom of the media, the head of the Armenian Television and Radio Commission Tigran Hakobyan stated today from the rostrum of the parliament, presenting the commission's report for 2019.
He noted that this report has become more voluminous and is not formal. <In January of this year, we sent inquiries to television and radio companies with a request to answer the question of whether the branches of power exert pressure on them, or whether the authorities are trying to intervene in their work. And from all the television companies, except one, they received a negative answer. I will not name this company, since the official who tried to influence this channel was dismissed>, – Hakobyan emphasized.
Meanwhile, the head of the commission noted that television channels complained that some officials refused to give interviews. <However, all this does not mean that we consider freedom of speech in the country satisfactory. In addition to the authorities, there are other factors that impede the establishment of free media in the country, and first of all, this applies to the co-founders and shareholders of the media. They often interfere in the work of the media, in their personnel policy, and thus impede their free activity. This is not least due to a decrease in advertising revenue. I also think that there are some legislative flaws that I hope will be fixed in the near future>, Hakobyan emphasized.
He also noted that in 2019 5 media outlets filed a commission with the court. <I want to note that since 2001, since the Commission was created, lawsuits have never been filed against it. The one exception was the TV company? 1+ (it was closed under Robert Kocharian). This suggests that the relationship between the TV channels and the commission has reached a new level, and the relationship is no longer being clarified in the offices. They are clarified within the framework of the law in the courts,> Hakobyan emphasized.
Hakobyan stated that the issue of media freedom is constantly in the center of attention of the members of the Commission. "In turn, I want to declare with all responsibility that no pressure is exerted on the members of the Commission and that the authorities are in no way trying to interfere in our work," the chairman of the commission on television and radio concluded.