Monday, March 18 2024 16:57

ArmInfo. The First News Channel of the Public Television Company of Armenia will be broadcasted not only in Yerevan, but also throughout the country. At a meeting on March 18, the RA National Assembly Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport issued a positive conclusion on the amendments to the Law "On Audiovisual Media" submitted by MP Sisak Gabrielyan.

As the press service of the RA NA reports, according to the MP, one  audio-visual programme is broadcasted by the Public Television  Company of Armenia CJSC only in Yerevan. The author of the bill  suggests that the public broadcaster should have a maximum of two  audiovisual programmes with nationwide distribution.

"Since the main source of funding for the Public Television Company  is the RA state budget, it would be fair that all the citizens of the  Republic of Armenia, regardless of their place of residence, should  be able to broadcast the TV channel they pay for," the author of the  bill underlined.

The draft was debated at March 18 sitting of the Standing Committee  on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport in the  first reading.  The Committee member Hasmik Hakobyan voiced the  observation of the Ministry of Finance, according to which the  adoption of the draft will lead to the need for 64.8 million AMD of  additional expenses from the RA state budget, however, neither the RA  2024 state budget nor the RA 2024-2026 medium-term state expenditure  programme provides funds for this purpose. The MP inquired whether  the author had debated the issue.

Sisak Gabrielyan noted that the issue was debated in the executive  body and the amendment will not require additional expenses from the  budget. He reminded that the Public TV Company is financed not only  from the RA state budget, but also from other ways not prohibited by  law.

RA Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, representing  the positive position of the Government regarding the draft, also  touched upon the issue raised by Hasmik Hakobyan. "Both the 2024 and  2025 state budgets, as well as the 2025-2027 mid-term spending plans,  do not provide for allocating these amounts to the Public Television  Company. This means that if there are no changes in the budget, then  at least until January 1, 2026, the Public Television Company, if it  wants to spread with republican coverage, must fulfill its financial  obligations as a result of the redistribution of its own funds."

According to the co-rapporteur, MP Hasmik Hakobyan, with the adoption  of the initiative, legal grounds are created to make the First News  Channel available in the capital for the entire republic. According  to the MP, the NA Expertise and Analytical Department subjected the  draft to legal, financial, economic and social examination and did  not find any problematic and contradictory provisions. Hasmik  Hakobyan proposed to vote for the initiative.

The bill on Amending the Law on Audiovisual Media was approved by the  Committee."