On October 18 the “People’s TV” Foundation was launched. The Foundation aims to promote freedom of expression and to support “A1+” TV company, which is taking part in the broadcast licensing competitions. As it has been reported, the competitions, announced by the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) on July 20, 2010, are held in Armenia for the first time and are stipulated by the digital switchover from analogue broadcasting (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, July 16-22, 2010).
The “People’s TV” intends to organize a fundraising, which will help to determine the potential audience of “A1+”, and consecutively – the social demand on resuming its broadcast. The Board of Trustees of the Foundation features: President of Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardian, Executive Director of Internews Media Support public organization Nouneh Sarkissian; writer and dramatist Karineh Khodikian (member of the NCTR in 2001-2007); Secretary of “Heritage” parliamentary faction Larisa Alaverdian; Chairwoman of the Association “For Sustainable Human Development” Karineh Danielian; Chief Editor of “Aravot” daily Aram Abrahamian; Head of “Forum” Legal Center Tigran Ter-Yesayan; Board Chairman of “Asparez” Journalists’ Club of Gyumri Levon Barseghian; Head of the Vanadzor Office of Helsinki Citizens Assembly Artur Sakunts.
“A1+” was deprived of air on April, 2002. The TV company had further taken part in all the broadcast licensing competitions, but every time its bids were scored lower by the NCTR than those of its rivals. On June 17, 2008 the European Court of Human Rights released its judgment on the case of the founder of “A1+” TV company, “Meltex” LLC, and its President Mesrop Movsesian versus Republic of Armenia. In the ECHR ruling the refusals to grant a broadcast license to “Meltex” LLC were recognized to be a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, i.e., of the right of the applicant to freely impart information and ideas (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 13-19, 2008).
