Cable tender announced
The 18 television companies to receive airtime for the next 10 years will be announced on December 16.
The National Commission on Television and Radio announced today a cable tender and presented the order for holding the contest. Applicants must submit their applications from October 10 to 20.
"I would like to believe in a fair tender. But previous experience has shown that it is impossible to have a fair competition with the current commission, the order it has announced and the law adopted before that," expert of the committee on freedom of speech Mesrop Harutyunyan told "A1+" and hoped that he would be mistaken.
According to the expert, there can't be expectations for a fair tender as long as the NCTR doesn't represent the Armenian society and doesn't take its opinion into account.
"I have never seen any logic in the actions taken by the NCTR. Their only logic is to do everything possible to keep "A1+" off air. I think the government has already determined the 18 companies," he said.
According to Mesrop Harutyunyan, this will hurt pluralism of airtime, which is more than controlled.
"Some visible or invisible person is sitting on Baghramyan Street and regulating airtime, telling which television companies are free or not. Ordered freedom is not freedom," said the expert.
According to the expert of the freedom of speech committee, the best way out of the situation is to create airtime that is alternative, competitive, ensures pluralism and is not under government control.
"It was like that until 2002 when there was competition, "A1+" and alternatives. However, all news is the same on all channels," said Mesrop Harutyunyan.
Let us remind that "A1+" has been shut down since April 2, 2002 and has not had the opportunity to be back on air ever since.
