On September 27 RA Administrative Court revoked the suit of Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression versus National Commission on Television and Radio. As it has been reported, on February 21, 2011 the CPFE had inquired the NCTR to provide the application packages of the TV companies taking part in the broadcast licensing competitions, which were summed up on December 16 and 23, 2010. The NCTR had answered that the information requested could be provided, with the exception of those documents that contained commercial secret, specifically contracts on rebroadcasting of programs of foreign TV stations, as well as resumes of the TV companies’ staff. On April 11 CPFE filed a suit before the RA Administrative Court demanding to bind NCTR with fully providing the inquired information. The hearings on the suit took place on September 13 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 8-15, 2011).
The suit of CPFE was revoked on the grounds of Part 1 of Clause 1 of Article 8 of RA Law “On Freedom of Information”, according to which the provision of information may be denied if it contains state, official, bank, commercial secret.
The CPFE intends to appeal the ruling before upper court jurisdiction.
