According to the RA Law “On Television and Radio” adopted on October 9, 2000, the national TV and radio channels must be transformed into public bodies, governed by the Council of Public Television and Radio established on January 19, 2001. Later, on January 25, the Government passed a decree on liquidating the state close joint-stock companies “RA National Television” and “RA National Radio”. The state-owned “Public TV and Radio Company” was founded. While the procedures of the liquidation of the National TV, the establishment of the public company and the competition-based appointment of its executive director are over, the similar process for the radio company is still under way. Yet, the liquidation commission was created in February 2001, and it was expected than the issue of the National Radio of Armenia will be solved within two months, especially with regard to settling the debts. According to the Executive Director of the National Radio of Armenia Armen Amirian, the debt of the NRA is about 135 million drams (about $243,000), while the state owes about another 100 million drams (about $180,000) to the Radio itself. According to Amirian, the situation will clear up no sooner than September.
At the same time, at the Government session on July 6 a decision was passed to implement a program on ensuring the broadcasting of the Public Radio of Armenia on the FM frequency over the whole territory of the country. In particular, it is expected that transmitters of appropriate power will be installed on the existing radio relay microwave stations. The program is to be realized stage by stage within 3 years. This governmental decision somewhat surprised the Executive Director of NRA Armen Amirian. “NRA has been broadcasting on FM for over a year. The area of dissemination does cover the whole country, except Syunik region which is also to be included by the end of 2001. So it is not quite clear why should an expense of 370 million drams (about 667,000 – Edit.) be made out of the state budget to create a new network”, Mr. Amirian said.
