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President of “A1+”: “You can’t build a country with lies”

Interview
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"There is lack of impartiality in an environment of fear. You can't build a country with lies and an environment of fear," says president of the "A1+" TV Mesrop Movsesyan.

It was exactly seven years ago on April 2 when the Armenian authorities made the decision to shut down "A1+" television.

What changes did this bring to the field of journalism in Armenia and for "A1+" during the past seven years? President of "Meltex" LTD and "A1+" Mesrop Movsesyan answered to this and other questions.

-The shutdown of "A1+" in 2002 set the stage for an environment of fear and that fear is deepening to this day. There is no way to provide impartial information in this situation. As for "A1+", even after the shutdown we showed how we can work in other fields of journalism as a news agency and a website. During these years, I consider our loyalty to principles and working style and the corroboration that we want to live in a normal country and that this is our country to be our greatest achievement.

-By loving your country you bring up all negative phenomena. Other media outlets believe that you only need to give "good" news in order to motivate the people. The shutdown of "A1+" for the first time in 2002 sent the message that you weren't showing "good" news.

-I have never heard anything more ignorant than that. News can't be good or bad. It either corresponds to the reality or it doesn't. "A1+" has always been concerned with showing the reality to the people, yet the fact that the authorities can't put up with the reality that they have created is a different story.

-The slogan of "A1+" is "Watch us and know yourselves". Why didn't the authorities approve this?

-We presented everyone, including the authorities, the way they were in reality. The authorities simply couldn't put up with that and that's their problem. The authorities shut down "A1+" to hide their mediocrity, stupidity and incompetence. Today, if I turn on the television to watch the news and, as a citizen of Armenia, see that the country they present is nothing like the country in which I live and that lie makes me want to leave this country, then that news is not "good" and something is not right. Unlike these authorities, I am not an odd element in this country. I love my country and I continue to work under these conditions for the sake of my country.

-Many people viewed the shutdown of "A1+" as a political solution and this has been going on for the past seven years. What are the authorities trying to solve now by not giving airtime back to "A1+"?

-First of all, they want to keep the environment of fear, keep all television networks under their control and eradicate journalism as a profession in Armenia. The aim of that is to isolate Armenia from the world and finally lead it to a pitfall in order to rule everybody and turn them into servants.

-After the shutdown of "A1+", you began to work as a news agency. Have you come to grips with the fact that you will never be on air?

-Of course we have not come to grips with that thought. I am sure that "A1+" will be back on air. Despite everything, I don't attach importance to the fields of journalism, but the working style. I am certain that my team will always work with the same principle and working style regardless of whether we are on air, an agency or the press. That is what matters to me. Even if our website is shut down, we will always find ways to provide impartial news to the public. The important thing is to be a professional. You can't always tiptoe, as the current authorities are trying to do.

-If "A1+" were to change its working style, would it be on air and would the authorities forgive you for your work and for being that objective?

-I don't think that the authorities have to forgive me or my team. "A1+" should consider forgiving or not forgiving them. I have not committed a crime. "A1+" has worked and continues to work for the people, our country because I want to live in a normal country and want my kids to live in a normal country as well.

-You hope that "A1+" will be back on air, yet according to the change made in the Law on "Television and Radio", there will be no contest declared until 2011. This means that "A1+" will not be able to be on air until 2011.

-There will be a contest because that law can't be enforced due to several reasons. First, it is impossible to digitalize television broadcasts by 2011. There are not enough funds and our country can't spend that much money. They can't digitalize television just by one law. You need serious brains and funds for that. Everybody knows that the law was passed just to delay returning airtime to "A1+", but that process can't go on forever. The authorities think that if they give airtime back to "A1+", the wave of protest will rise even higher. However, they don't realize that keeping the shutdown contributes to the wave of protest in the country.

-The authorities consider "A1+" to be the opposition and view the shutdown as depriving them of speaking out.

-I am strictly against that approach. The judgment of the authorities proves that they can speak on all television networks besides "A1+" and the fact that they deprived the opposition of airtime is really the case. "A1+" was on air for everyone-the opposition and the authorities. Our objective was to let the people know about everybody's opinion, but it was up to the people to decide. I stress once more that a mass media outlet can't be pro-government or oppositional. That was their guiding principle in 2002 and that is why we are in this situation today. When people were being killed in central Yerevan on March 1 last year, Armenian television networks were showing American murder films. This goes to show that our country doesn't have a leader and requires structural reforms. These authorities can't control the situation any longer and it is time for them to leave.