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The deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Sisak Gabrielyan proposed the amendment to the law on Audiovisual Media. According to him, one audio-visual programme is broadcasted by the Public Television Company of Armenia CJSC only in the metropolitan area. The author 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 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. The author reminded that the Public TV Company is financed not only from the RA state budget, but also from other ways not prohibited by law.

The 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, the deputy 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 deputy, 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.