NCTR violated the principle of transparency
The Board of Trustees of "People's TV" Foundation, which aims to return a local embattled company to the air, has issued a statement.
"In reply to the request of Meltex" Ltd, founder of "A1+" TV Company, the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) replied in its letter of December 6, 2010, that the contest packages of "Armenia TV" and "ArmNews" would be presented for photocopying after January 20, 2011.
The Board of Trustees announces that the NCTR failed to guarantee the transparency of a broadcast licensing competition by refusing to provide information to Meltex Ltd within a reasonable time period.
The NCTR violated the company's right to information, calling the impartiality of the competition in question," reads the statement.
A1+ was controversially taken off the air after losing its broadcasting license in a tender for television frequencies in 2002. Its numerous attempts to regain the license in subsequent tenders have failed.
A1+ has bid for another broadcast licensing competition in 2010.
The "People's TV" Foundation, created in mid-October 2010, started fundraising in an attempt to support "A1+" TV company. As it has been reported, the action will help determine the potential audience of "A1+", and consecutively - the social demand on resuming its broadcast. The competitions, announced by the NCTR on July 2010, are held in Armenia for the first time and are stipulated by the digital switchover from analogue broadcasting. "Meltex" Ltd participates in competition No.11, where the company's rival is "ArmNews" Ltd.
