Public Television Company to Launch Another Nationwide Broadcast Channel

The 'Armenian Public Television Company' will have two television channels with nationwide broadcasts. Currently, the 'First Informational Channel', which only broadcasts in the capital, will now be available throughout the republic.

The draft law on amendments to the 'Law on Audiovisual Media', proposed by Civil Contract party member Sisak Gabrielyan, received approval during a session of the National Assembly's permanent committee on science, education, culture, diaspora, youth, and sport.

"The Armenian Public Television Company broadcasts one audiovisual program only within the capital's coverage area, and one audiovisual program with nationwide coverage. The project proposes that the public broadcaster can have a maximum of two audiovisual programs, or simply put, two television channels, both with nationwide coverage, so that the interests of the television companies with licenses in the public multiplex are not harmed," said Gabrielyan.

Once the law comes into effect, the public broadcaster will relinquish its slot for capital coverage and will automatically transition to nationwide broadcasting.

Gabrielyan added that the Public Television Company's budget comes from the state budget, thus it is not desirable for this money to be directed only to viewers in Yerevan.

Related rapporteur Hasmik Hakobyan noted that according to the Ministry of Finance's assessment, the adoption of the bill would generate an additional expense of 64 million drams for the budget, which is not planned for in the 2024 budget. The deputy asked whether discussions on this had taken place.

The project's author stated that there has been a discussion, suggesting that if the coverage is nationwide, this gap could be filled with funds from the Public Television Company. The company is funded not only from the Armenian state budget but also through other legally permissible means, such as advertising or joint film productions.

Hasmik Hakobyan emphasized that thus legal grounds are being established to make the capital-based 'First Informational Channel' accessible to the entire republic.