ALAVERDI’S TV COMPANY CLOSED
Support A1+!As reported by our colleagues from Armenian town of Alaverdi, “Angle+3” local TV Company was stripped of air today by Armenian Communication Center. Presenting formal justification of this action, the officials said the company has provided no quality in its broadcasting and never transmitted state programs in clear breach of provision 10 of contract, confirmed by Armenian government’s decision 694 dated from November 20, 1999.
Indeed, bad quality of broadcasting was due to the fact that transmitter “Tesla” was out of order and replaced with another, RCT transmitter. However, other companies are now broadcasting through it. It is obvious, that real reason of depriving the company of air connected with its way of covering parliamentary election campaigning. Local Republicans were unhappy about footage about the party leaders’ visit to Alaverdi shown on May 19 in one of newscasts. Candidate G. Kochinyan’s campaigners threatened the company accusing it of giving more space and attention to his rival G. Tamazyan.
Besides, a day before that, Tamazyan’s electoral teams’ statement about election irregularities fixed was read on the channel. Local authorities were accused of intimidation of voters.
In a few days before the closing, tax inspection visited the company but failed to find any illegality. What happened is closely related to each other, the company employees say.
The channel viewers reacted angrily to the happenings. They are phoning all day along an calling for staging rallies and other protest actions.
