Programs ‘Friday with Tigran Keosayan’ and ‘Abovyan Time’ No Longer Airing on Radio Sputnik

On January 16, Radio Sputnik announced through a press release that its chief editor Kirill Vishinsky expressed regret, as during the months of September to November 2023, radical statements had aired on ‘Sputnik Armenia’ radio that clearly contradicted the editorial policy of Radio Sputnik. This is reported by the National Commission on Television and Radio.

The announcement was prompted by a decision from the commission on December 20, 2023, in which they initiated administrative procedures and suspended the license of the company ‘Tospa,’ which rebroadcasts ‘Sputnik Armenia’ at the 106.0 frequency, for 30 days. The basis of the decision was the content of the program ‘Friday with Tigran Keosayan,’ during which, according to the commission, the foreign author made derogatory and mocking statements about the Republic of Armenia, its citizens, and leadership, inciting hostility and calling for violence while violating the ethical norms of provided auditory services.

In another decision, the Television and Radio Commission fined ‘Tospa’ 500,000 AMD based on the content aired during the ‘Abovyan Time’ program. In this case, the commission identified claims that spread panic and were based on unverified and unreliable sources.

The chief editor of Radio Sputnik stated in his announcement that their mission is to portray Russia as a strong and friendly state with good intentions to foreign audiences. He emphasized that this is particularly important for the Armenians living in Russia, for whom Armenia is a small homeland, and its media space is a subject of daily interest.

The ‘Tospa’ radio company, which obtained a license to broadcast Russian media in the Republic of Armenia, also issued a statement assuring that it is taking steps to promptly address the issues mentioned in the administrative proceedings. For instance, ‘Friday with Tigran Keosayan’ and ‘Abovyan Time’ will no longer be aired.

The editorial board of ‘Tospa’ expressed that it does not share and condemns the offensive statements made by the host during ‘Friday with Tigran Keosayan’ and regrets such severe decisions made by the commission.

The chief editor of Radio Sputnik expressed confidence that the “annoying unpleasantness” caused by the radical statements that aired will subside. Furthermore, the Television and Radio Commission assures that it will keep a close watch on the content of audiovisual media products prepared by other states and rebroadcast on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

The commission is an institution that guarantees the freedom and independence of broadcasters, guided solely by the national interests of Armenia and the principles of democracy, aiming not to create unpleasant incidents but to protect the presence of impartial, diverse, non-partisan, and free from propaganda media content in our informational space.