“A1+” has turned into a symbol
"Each resident of Yerevan has felt the need for "A1+" for the past seven years when turning on the television," says advocate Vardan Harutyunyan. According to him, the people need to hear the news from "A1+" after hearing the "good" news on television.
Hartyunyan says that the absence of "A1+" for seven straight years goes to show that the regression that started in the field of freedom of speech with the deprivation of "A1+" continues.
"We can start talking about progress in freedom of speech once "A1+" is back on air," said Harutyunyan.
Vardan Harutyunyan doesn't exclude that there will come a time when there will be better television networks than "A1+", but he considers the return of "A1+" as the top priority to establish democracy in the country. The loss of airtime was a necessity for the authorities because their main issue was to keep the public away from objectivity, but this is a huge pain for the people."
According to the advocate, the absence of "A1+" has a negative impact on the political field and the environment created in the country in general.
"The authorities would have been more miserable"
"If "A1+" was on air today, things would be different today. Most importantly, we would not have the government that we have or they would be in a much more miserable state," says advocate Arthur Sakunts.
He believes that it was not by chance that the authorities deprived "A1+" in 2002 right before the presidential elections.
" "A1+" continues to be a danger for the authorities because they are afraid of the truth," said Artur Sakunts.
During the past seven years, the absence of "A1+" was felt first and foremost by the lack of objective and alternative information.
" "A1+" served as a lesson for the rest"
"It is sad," this is how advocate Avetik Iskhanyan weighs the deprivation of airtime of "A1+". According to him, the deprivation of "A1+" was definitely a political decision.
"After that, many changes took place in the life of television networks in Armenia with the setting of limitations. The presence of "A1+" allowed other networks to be freer."
By limitations Iskhanyan means a couple of paths:
"This served as an example for other television networks. The authorities, particularly the National Television and Radio Commission, censure other television networks without showing it."
Mr. Ishkhanyan considers the explanations of the authorities about the deprivation of "A1+" as ridiculous, particularly the explanation that the "A1+" lost in the contests.
"What is also ridiculous is the change in the law on "Television and Radio" according to which there will be no contests until 2011."
In any case, Avetik Ishkhanyan is optimistic and believes that "A1+" will come back on air by the end of 2009.
