Yerevan Press Club agrees with today’s decision of the National Commission on TV and Radio (NCTR) that Kentron TV channel was engaged in anti-propaganda on May 6. “In this case, it was an obvious violation, it is hard to argue with the NCTR, because in case of any broadcasting, whether live or not, engaging in propaganda, whether for or against, is banned by the law and requires responsibility,” Yerevan Press Club (YPC) chairman Boris Navasardyan said to www.aravot.am.
In his words, as a result of their monitoring, besides Kentron TV channel, other TV channels haven’t obviously violated the law.
As for the second administrative proceedings of the NCTR against Kentron for violating the Electoral Code and reporting on parties unequally, Mr. Navasardyan doesn’t see legal grounds for additional punishment, “The law clearly stipulates which one is balanced and which one is imbalanced. And as a result of our monitoring, almost all TV channels have shown inequality in this way or another. Enforcing that article of the law would be acceptable, only if there were proofs that the TV channel did not create equal conditions for parties and candidates, along with that. However, if there are no proofs, imposing punishments is unacceptable and it will only testify to the fact that the NCTR shows selective attitude toward different mass media, based on politics.”
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Arpine SIMONYAN
