Political decision: Regional TV companies are on the verge of closure (video)
The world is moving towards digitization, and meantime Armenian regional TV companies remain out of these developments. This release of Kiraki (Sunday) program is dedicated to the issues of regional TV stations. Starting from October 20, 2016 a number of regional TV companies have been broadcast but almost without audience. In 2010 after relevant changes in the RA law on Television and Radio Broadcasting, at present only one public multiplexer operates in the RA territory. It is Armenia’s TV and radio broadcasting network, which broadcasts TV companies having digital license, including only one TV channel from each region. Some regional TV stations joined, solving the issue in this way, but some them remain on the verge of closure. According to another change made in 2015, these TV stations still can carry out analogue broadcasting, but there is another problem. Turning on digital regulations on TV sets, the viewers will hardly change the regulations every time in order to watch the programs of the regional analogue stations, in many places it is even technically impossible. So, these stations lose the advertisers and are not able to work anymore. A few months ago regional TV companies sent an open letter to the authorities with the proposal to make changes in the law. Which are the solutions, which are the chances of the regional TV stations and to what extent are they realistic? Armavir ALT and Vanadzor LORI TV companies prepared materials for the program. The program hosted Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of Committee for Protection of Freedom of Speech and Davit Margaryan, Head of the Legal and Licensing Department, National Commission on Television and Radio.
