On October 24, the National Assembly began the work of the regular sittings. After approving the agendas of the session and the regular sittings the parliament turned to the debate of the drafts.
The draft law on Making Addenda to the RA Law on Audiovisual Media authored by the deputy of the NA Civil Contract Faction Sisak Gabrielyan. The necessity of making addendum is conditioned by the tendencies of introduction of the study system of rating of TV channels and certain programmes and demand and preferences of the TV audience.
It is proposed to authorize that at least 50 and more percent of the TV companies existing in the Public multiplex will be able to join and to create a Council, which will choose the organization carrying out the measurements of the TV companies. The data of the latter will be a basis for the distribution of the advertisement. The TV companies, which will not wish that that organization carries out measurements on their part, date will not be published on their part. The organization to be created should transfer free and compulsory on its implemented measurements to the Commission on Television and Radio, taking into consideration that the Commission has certain control functions.
“Once again I will say that on one hand, this protects TV companies, on the other hand – the advertisers, which for years paid sums of money for the advertisement of the brands,” Sisak Gabrielayn said and added that, according to the implemented international audit, for many years that measurement process had not reflected the reality and the advertisers’ sums of money had been distributed unfair to a certain extent.
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The deputy Sergey Bagratyan inquired of that same measurement organization will continue carrying out measurements or – another organization will do. And if it is fair that the data presented by one organization are accepted. Why several organizations should not be in order it would be possible to compare the presented data. In response, Sisak Gabrielyan noted that after the adoption of the draft the Council chosen by the organizations can choose 2-3 measurement organizations, which can carry out measurements: there is no restriction.
According to him, at this moment one organization functions, and the difference is that by now there is no control towards that organization. There is nothing clear for the TV companies, they don’t know how they carry out the measurements. The TV companies ordered an international audit for that reason and clarified that the date presented by the abovementioned organization are not fair. The MP mentioned that this draft was initiated because of these problems.
The member of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Hasmik Hakobyan presented the endorsement of the Committee.
The position of the Government was also positive, and it presented the RA Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Gevorg Mantashyan.
The debate of the draft in the second reading will be held after passing it in the first reading, within twenty-four hours. The representatives of the TV companies addressed the author of the draft with such request.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
