Isn't government ready to fulfill its international obligations? (video)
From July 1, 2015, Armenia is to make a switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting, but the planned transition may be postponed. Yesterday, the government rejected a proposal by freelance MP Edmon Marukyan who suggested postponing the transition for two years, however, the executive did not rule out the possible postponement. The proposal concerned regional TV Companies. Only one broadcaster from each region has been granted a license for digital broadcasting and signal distribution. Hrazdan TV Company has been operating for 25 years. Its director Mnatsakah Harutyunyan says the shut-down of analogue transmitters is equal to laying mines in television. "If digitalization is aimed at improving the quality of signal distribution and ensuring pluralism, as they say, then why should we be taken off air?” he says. “If the transition is delayed for maximum one year, I can understand them, but we cannot postpone the process for two years. It is a violation of international obligations which can have serious consequences. Simulcasting of analogue and digital channels is very expensive and we cannot afford it at the moment,” says Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Speech. He is sure that the government will postpone the digitalization, although most technical problems have been solved already. One of the main issues is the acquisition of decoding equipment, as well as the adaptation of socially vulnerable groups of society to the switch-over. Besides, citizens are to buy modern TV-sets or facilities to adjust their old ones to the new broadcasting mode.
