On January 19 the RA President Robert Kocharian signed a decree on holding a competition to fill in a vacancy in the Council of Public TV and Radio Company. The competition jury included: the chairman – Armen Gevorgian (the Head of the RA President’s Office); secretary – Irina Ghulinian (Deputy Head of Department for Public Relations and Media of the RA President’s Office); jury members – Henrik Hovhannisian (member of the Council of Public TV and Radio Company, doctor of arts, professor), Ara Tadevosian (Director of “Mediamax” news agency) and Elinar Vardanian (Executive Director of Center of Public Dialogue and Development).
In the competition Armenian citizens that are reputed and competent professionals in journalism, law, TV and radio management, science, culture and arts, having higher education and fluent in Armenian language. The following individuals are ineligible for the position of PTRC Council member: members of governing bodies of political parties; foreign citizens and people with no citizenships; heads of public and private TV and radio companies; individuals having contractual relations with TV and radio companies. The deadline for application submission is January 30.
The competition for filling in a vacancy in PTRC Council was announced due to the term expiration of the Council Chairman Alexan Harutiunian.
YPC Comment: We have repeatedly noted the numerous issues related to such competitions, both in terms of legislative regulation and of practical implementation (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, January 28 – February 3, 2005 and February 11-17, 2005). This time a new detail is noteworthy and surprising: the ban on participation in competition for heads of public and private broadcasters and for individuals having contractual relations with TV and radio companies. The membership in PTRC Council is certainly incompatible with the management or existence of contractual relations with broadcast companies. Yet putting such restriction on the stage of a competition means to close access to the Council to most broadcast professionals of the country. This requirement is in actual contradiction with the other of eligibility criteria. Thus, how can one be “TV and radio management professional” but “have no contractual relations with TV and radio companies”? Unless the competition is announced for the unemployed…
