AFTER BROADCASTING LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S SPEECH GYUMRI’S GALA TV COMPANY SUBJECTED TO PRESSURE
Noyan Tapan
Oct 30, 2007
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The broadcasting of videoing of
the September 21 speech of first RA President by the Gala Gyumri’s
TV company was preceded by warning telephone calls "asking" not to
broadcast that speech. The calls were made by various departments,
including the RA President’s administration, the National Security
Service, the Chairman of the National Commission of Television and
Radio. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed about it by Vahan
Khachatrian, the TV company’s owner. In spite of the warnings, Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s speech was broadcast by Gala on October 14.
"After the broadcast, on October 23, the employees of the State
Tax Service visited the TV company and officially notified about
checkings," V. Khachatrian said. However, in his wrds, those checkings
are formal.
V. Khachatrian stated that he will not obey to pressures and they are
going to continue providing unbiassed and many-sided information by
their company.
The Asparez Gyumri’s journalist club, in its October 30 statement,
classes the incident as pressure upon a free medium. "We had repeatedly
stated formerly, and we repeat that any departmental checking held in a
medium on the threshold of the elections, irrespective of its outcome,
just obstructs media’s work and possible freedom. Such checkings held
during 6-8 months preceding any elections are considered as a direct
pressure upon media. It is time to put an end to this disgraceful
practice," the club’s statement read.