On May 10, after the technical break announced due to the change of the owner and the title, “Aravot” TV company went on air. As it has been reported, after the sale of “Kentron”, the TV company, renamed to “Aravot”, was headed by Aram Abrahamian, also the Chief Editor of “Aravot” daily (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, April 23-29, 2004). Despite the assurances of Aram Abrahamian that he will continue to assist the return of “A1+” TV company on air (Abrahamian hosted “PostScript” program on “A1+”), his consent to head “Aravot” TV encountered very negative response from “A1+” management. (Two years ago, by the decision of National Commission on Television and Radio the opposition channel “A1+” lost the competition for its frequency to “Kentron”, presently “Aravot” TV.)
On its behalf the Board of opposition party Armenian National Movement (ANM) announced that it refuses to appear on the air of “Aravot” TV. On May 6, with a reference to anonymous source in the ANM Board, “Haikakan Zhamanak” daily reported that the governing body of the party does not want to participate in the imitation of freedom of speech.
In an interview to “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” newspaper of May 7 Aram Abrahamian expressed his perplexion at the fact that “a political force refuses to state its position on live air out of fear that it will be an imitation of freedom of speech”. “In any case I regret that this part of the political spectrum will not be represented on our channel, however, I am positive that this is temporary”, Aram Abrahamian added.
