Presidential monitoring
A material signed by “The office of the RA President’s press secretary” have been placed in the official site of the RA Foreign Ministry and is titled “Analyze of monitoring of political programs broadcasted by private TV Companies in Armenia”. According to that analyze, it became clear during the first stage of monitoring held from April 1-June 23, 2006, that oppositionists have been broadcasted by 7 TV Companies for 86 times. In the second stage, from August 15-October 17 those politicians have been broadcasted for 45 times. And finally in the last stage of monitoring, from January 5- March 6, 2007, the oppositionists have been broadcasted for 82 times. According to the results of monitoring, the politicians from “Impeachment” bloc have been broadcasted more. While the members of this alliance complain of not being broadcasted on Public TV. It is much more surprising that the office of the RA President’s press secretary has considered the leaders of Christian Democratic Party and People’s Party as oppositionist. “The results of monitoring denies the information as if the “presidential” etc, – President’s press secretary Victor Soghomonyan declared, elucidating the results of monitoring. – It is obvious that there aren’t serious problems on the occasion of the freedom of the speech”. Anyway we think that not the President’s speaker but the oppositionists themselves must declare whether their activities are being broadcasted on TV. So we turned to them.
DON’T DUPE US
According to the office of President’s press secretary, Artashes Geghamyan, the leader of “National Unity” Party has been broadcasted for 7 times, the NU politicians for 3 times. The NU deputy leader Alexan Karapetyan said on that occasion that Artashes Geghamyan hadn’t been broadcasted even for a minute on Public TV. Geghamyan hasn’t also been broadcasted on H2 TV in the last 4 years. Only “Armenia” broadcasted him once for 20 minutes. He mentions this 3 TV Companies, as H1 is financed by budget and is obliged to broadcast parliamentary factions, and H2 and “Armenia” are more famous TV channels.
Mr. Karapetyan also added that the monitoring had mentioned such programs where Geghamyan had been invited forcedly. He was invited to “Erkir Media” as Vahan Hovanisyan invited him from the NA, next was famous debate with Arthur Baghdasaryan. So, don’t dupe us.
Comparison
The monitoring results show that “Rule of Law” Party representatives have been broadcasted for 10 times. While the leaders of “Rule of Law” Party are constantly complaining of the impossibility to broadcast their standpoints. “Rule of Law” Party’s deputy leader Mher Shahgeldyan said: “First of all, I don’t know how those numbers have been counted during the monitoring. But we haven’t been broadcasted for about 10 months. It would be better if they counted the number of authority’s broadcast and compare it with the broadcasts of the opposition”.
Disproportion
PPA administration member Ruzan Khachatryan noted that several public organizations sponsored by international structures hold that monitoring. Perhaps for that reason the air has been a little available for the opposition: “But there is some disproportion. There are private TV Companies, which invite PPA representatives; some others don’t, for example in case of H2. This TV Channel has broadcasted 10 minute lasted interview with Stepan Demirchyan, and there has been no other program.” In answer to the question whether the coverage of the opposition activities are enough, Ruzan Khachatryan said: “It shouldn’t be enough, as it isn’t only spoken about minutes, but about interpretations and motivations in the materials about the oppositionists”. R. Khachatryan also reminded that there were opposition forces and oppositionists, which had never been broadcasted.
In the report of “Heritage” Party on the press conference held in “Urbat” club is noted that no TV journalist were present besides “Erkir Media”. R. Hovanisyan has noted during the press conference that the majority of TV channels don’t elucidate his press conferences in the last months. Party’s press speaker Hovsep Khurshudyan noted: “Introducing to the so-called monitoring, I can say that as professionally Robert Kocharyan rules the country, as professional is the monitoring held by his press secretary. Simply the concept of monitoring is disregarded.
Epochal thoughts
The news service of “New Times” Party has described in this way Victor Soghomonyan’s above-mentioned declarations: They have no connection with the reality, as they don’t reflect the whole picture of information. We’d advise Mr. Soghomonyan to be introduced to the monitoring results of the Press Club of Yerevan which are true and professional”. NTP also affirms that “Victor Soghomonyan controls the work of TV Companies and systemize the question of broadcasting oppositionists or not”. NTP has finished its message in the following way: “We must admit that sorrowful reality, that people who work with Robert Kocharyan become liars in very short period.”