On July 12 another program from “E-Club” weekly cycle went on the online broadcast of “A1+” TV company (www.a1plus.am). The “E-Club” is produced by Yerevan Press Club in cooperation with “A1+” TV company under “Alternative Resources in Media” project, supported by USAID.

The information and education blocs, particularly, compared the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook and Google+ social networks, the online broadcast of Armenian radio stations was presented on the example of Rockline.am. One of the plots dealt with results of Internet voting regarding the need of foreign language schools in Armenia. The theme was further considered by the guests of the discussion part of “E-Club” - partisan of the initiative Tigran Kocharian, Editor of www.Emedia.am, and Edgar Arakelian, producer of www.1in.am news portal, member of the civil initiative group “We are against foreign language schools”.

The next “E-Club” will be aired on “A1+” on July 19.

On July 12 the twelfth show of “Yerkragund” (“Globe”) cycle went on the evening air of “Yerkir Media” TV company. The current show was produced by Yerevan Press Club with support of Open Society Foundations-Armenia.

The guests of the program host, YPC Expert Gegham Baghdasarian, were iranist Artin Arakelian, politologist Ruben Mehrabian, Armenian Center for Political and International Studies, Anna Gevorgian, Research Assistant at the Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies of Yerevan State University, and Gohar Iskandarian, Research Assistant of Iran Department at the Oriental Studies Institute of RA National Academy of Sciences. The discussion focused on the role of Iran in the South Caucasus region.

The next “Yerkragund” show will be aired on “Yerkir Media” on Tuesday, July 19 at 19.15 (rerun - on Thursday, July 21 at 14.15).

On July 7 at the Consulate General of Belgium in Istanbul the award ceremony intended to encourage Armenian and Turkish journalists, who write about the neighbor country, Armenian-Turkish relations. The event was organized by Global Political Trends Center of Istanbul Culture University, Yerevan Press Club and Eurasia Partnership Foundation in frames of “Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement” project, assisted by USAID. The jury listed: Ruben Safrastian, Director of Oriental Studies Institute of RA National Academy of Sciences, Satik Seyranian, Chief Editor of “168 Zham” newspaper, Gegham Manukian, Director of the News and Current Affairs Programs of “Yerkir Media” TV company, Mensur Akgun, Director of Global Political Trends Center of Istanbul Culture University, Sevda Alankus, Dean of the Communication Faculty of Izmir Economics University, and Ferhat Boratov, Representative of CNN-Turk TV Channel Administration.

From the Turkish journalists the award was granted to Kadri Gursel, the Foreign Affairs Editor of “Milliyet” daily - for articles supporting normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

Earlier, on May 18 in Yerevan the Armenian journalist, Eduard Mkhitarian, Film Director of “GALA” TV company of Gyumri, was awarded (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, May 13-19, 2011).

On July 12 and 14 at “Congress” hotel in Yerevan the presentation of the Armenian media market research was held. The study was implemented in 2011 by Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC), Yerevan Press Club and Eurasia Partnership Foundation under “Alternative Resources in Media” project, supported by USAID.

The research covered a wide range of questions regarding the preferences of the audience, the conformity of the social demand and media offer, the level of population credibility towards media, its attitude towards new media resources, their accessibility, etc. The work was carried out in four directions: nationwide poll on public opinion (January-February, 2011, between 1,420 respondents); 8 focus group discussions (March 2011); 33 in-depth interviews with representatives of media industry (April-May, 2011) and monitoring of thematic profiles of 12 Armenian media (February 1 - March 15, 2011). The monitoring was administered by Yerevan Press Club and covered seven TV channels (First Channel of Public Television of Armenia, “Shoghakat”, “Armenia”, Second Armenian TV Channel, “Yerkir Media”, “Kentron”, “Shant"), 2 newspapers (“Aravot”, “Golos Armenii”) and three online publications (1in.am, Lragir.am, Panorama.am). The study aimed at determining the level of the diversity in media, particularly focusing on their thematic directions, as well as providing data for the comparative analysis with the undertaken population poll defining how the thematic coverage and the media interest towards thematic profiles reflect their real public significance and correspond to the audience demands.

The presentations were organized for media representatives on July 12, and NGOs, social activists and citizen journalists - on July 14. On July 18 the research result will be introduced to representatives of state structures and business circles, while on July 25 - to international organizations and diplomatic corps.

The Armenian media market research is fully presented in Armenian and English on the www.crrc.am. The study, as well as the very media monitoring will soon be placed on www.ypc.am in “Studies” Section.

On July 8 at RA Administrative Court another session on the suit of “Meltex” LLC, founder of “A1+” TV company, versus National Commission on Television and Radio was held. As it has been reported, on February 21 “Meltex” contested the results of digital broadcast licensing competition No.11. The founders of “A1+” and “ArmNews” TV companies were opponents in this competition (the latter became the winner). The NCTR December 16, 2010 decision on competition No.11 noted that the financial means, claimed by “Meltex” LLC, “cannot be sufficient, given that the significant part of the supporting documents on the financial assistance (...) is forged and unjustified”. Namely, this fact rendered impossible for “A1+” to implement a complete broadcast in the digital network in Yerevan, assured the NCTR. Assessing this justification as forced and biased, “Meltex” addressed the court demanding to restore its violated rights and nullify the NCTR decision on competition No.11. At the hearings, started on May 11, 2011, the Court secured the plaintiff’s motion on impleading “ArmNews” CJSC, founder of “ArmNews” TV channel, as a third party in the case. Meanwhile at the session of June 10 the representatives of “ArmNews” did not appear before the court (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 10-16, 2011).

At the session of July 8 a letter in which founder of “ArmNews” denies to participate in the court proceedings was read out. The “A1+” founder, in its turn, presented a supplement to its suit. The 7 pages’ document lists in detail the inconformities of the “ArmNews”  licensing application that were neglected by NCTR while determining the winner of competition No.11. The Court granted the respondent with time for reviewing the supplement to the suit.

On July 8 at court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan finished the preliminary hearings on the suit of the construction company “Glendale Hills” versus founder and publisher of “Zhamanak” daily, “Skizb Media Kentron” LLC. The reason of the suit was the piece “‘Glendale Hills’ Offered 1000 Dollars for Silence”, published in “Zhamanak” on August 26, 2010. The article informed that in August 2010 there were collapses in a newly built house in Gyumri, and the building contractor, “Glendale Hills”, offered the tenants a financial compensation, promised to restore the damages, if only the media did not know about the incident. The suit was submitted to consideration on September 24, 2010; the preliminary sessions started since November 26, 2010. “Glendale Hills” demanded from “Zhamanak” founder to refute the information as contained in the piece that discredit its business reputation, compensate the damage caused by defamation of 2 million AMD (about $ 5400) and cover the court expenses of 500,000 AMD.

At the session of July 8 the advocate of the respondent, Nikolay Baghdasarian, proposed to take the question to arbitration or consider it in a non-judicial procedure. Nikolay Baghdasarian also informed YPC that during the preliminary hearings he had made a petition to suspend court proceedings - in order to give the “Zhamanak” founder a possibility of addressing the RA Constitutional Court on the issue of constitutionality of some provisions of Article 1087.1 (“Order and Conditions of Compensation of Damage to the Honor, Dignity or Business Reputation”) of RA Civil Code. However the court put off the consideration of the petition.

The core hearings are appointed on September 5.