A public advisory body that raised the issue of content and quality of television in Armenia earlier this year has noticed certain improvements of late. But despite the application of new criteria, the council of prominent public figures also notices some problems and shortcomings that require solutions.

The Public Council committee on Armenian TV monitoring and counseling held its third meeting on Wednesday to discuss issues related to the contents and quality of the TV air as well as amendments in the law “On Television and Radio”.

Speaking about the quality of what is aired on Armenian televisions today, the committee co-chair Hayk Demoyan said it had more or less improved in the past few months.

“There are positive changes, but it does not mean that our television has no problems. We should take the way of registering the positive, but at the same time raising problems and suggesting solutions if we see shortcomings,” said Demoyan, the director of the Armenian Genocide institute-museum in Yerevan.

According to the criteria enforced in March (and incorporated into Armenia’s Law ‘On Television and Radio) TV companies are not allowed to air programs that have a negative effect on the health, intellectual and physical development and education of minors. Programs are monitored against including drug addicts, parodies on drunkards, materials disparaging of spiritual, cultural values, of highly merited persons of the nation, discrediting parents and educators, romanticizing criminals and gangsters or making heroes out of them, vulgarity, obscene language, etc.. Films of erotic nature and horror films are to be shown after midnight.

Critics say the measures are tantamount to restrictions of artistic freedom and freedom of expression. But the National Commission on Television and Radio, which oversees the application of the criteria, has denied any such motives behind the initiative, saying that it only reflects an overwhelming public demand for a “pure” television.

While noting some progress, Demoyan on Wednesday also voiced some concern over the circumstance that nearly all channels provide news “in the same package”.

“More than a dozen television companies present several pieces of news during all editions of the day on accidents, natural disasters, explosions happening 5,000 kilometers away from Armenia. Just imagine how much negative information is provided to our society and how many times during the day. The package of news should be revised,” said Demoyan, without going into detail.

The committee members noted positive changes in the television programs, noted that “the volume of vulgarity” have reduced, there are no crime figures in TV serials, the language used in TV has improved.

Committee member Mikael Dovlatyan, however, said: “Perhaps some things have changed, but the whole situation has remained quite sad. The show of one TV series has stopped, but another one is being foisted on the audience. That is not a qualitative change of the air.”

Meanwhile, speaking about the planned amendments to the law on television and radio, Deputy Economy Minister Ara Petrosyan noted that the bill will be elaborated on the basis of proposals that were being received and will be presented in parliament for its second reading.

According to Petrosyan, switching to digital broadcasting will be a process realized phase by phase as the transition period will be set until 2015, and during this period both digital and analogue-based broadcasts will be available.

“During the initial period we will have 18 television companies, but later an opportunity will be made for their number to grow. Directions of television companies are also fixed by the draft law,” says Petrosyan.
The package of government-drafted legal amendments to the law was approved by lawmakers in the first reading on May 20. Opposition lawmakers and local media groups voiced objections to some of the provisions of the bill, in particular over the reduction of the number of TV stations and lack of clear criteria for receiving broadcasting licenses through tenders.

Yerevan Press Club Chairman Boris Navasardyan presented a joint statement by the Yerevan Press Club, the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech, the media supporting NGO Internews and the Open Society Institute regarding these and other provisions of the bill and their interpretations.

The organizations consider that time given for the document to be elaborated before it is approved in the second reading is too short for full-scale work to be done.

Meanwhile, OSCE representative on freedom of the media Dunja Mijatovic issued a statement on Wednesday echoing the concerns of the Armenian media groups that the new legislation could mean tighter controls over broadcasting media in the country. She called on the Armenian authorities to ensure the planned changes in the law are harmonized with OSCE standards before passing it in its final reading. “If adopted in its present form, the law would not guarantee pluralism in the broadcasting sector. The draft also fails to offer a solid basis for the upcoming process of digitalization,” Mijatovic said.

“A good draft can safeguard independence of the broadcasters, thus promoting media freedom and at the same time stimulate a competitive and economically vibrant broadcasting sector in Armenia.”