“Hayastani Hanrapetutyun” deplores the uproar over the anticipated closure of the A1 Plus channel. The government-controlled paper says journalists should have protested when the current law on broadcasting organizations was passed by the parliament last year.
The national commission on TV and radio is operating in a “very unpleasant atmosphere,” its chairman, Grigor Amalian, tells “Haykakan Zhamanak.” He complains that supporters of A1 Plus are trying to force it to take a “political decision.”
“Aravot” says remarks like this are just an excuse to justify the channel’s closure. The paper, writing on the night before the end of the frequency tender, says it is confident that most commission members will play into Kocharian’s tune and vote against A1 Plus.
“Hayots Ashkhar” says the country’s former rulers have no moral right to accuse the current authorities of stifling dissent as they themselves shut down many media outlets in the past. The paper wishes the public’s reaction to their closure had been as strong as it is now.
“Iravunk” says Tuesday will show whether Armenians have “the right to alternatives.” The paper refers to the decision of the licensing commission and the scheduled parliament vote on whether the opposition’s draft constitution should be put on a referendum. “In both cases, everything depends on the president’s will,” it says.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” comments that the weekend merger of the Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh) and the 21st Century party laid the groundwork for “the creation of a far more competitive electoral alliance.”
A parliament deputy from the Dashnaktsutyun party, Kim Balayan, is alarmed at the possibility of the HHSh’s return to power. But he tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that he rules out “Ter-Petrosian’s personal return to power.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” says the dram’s slow but steady weakening against the U.S. dollar is starting to have an impact on consumer prices. It says the Armenian Central Bank is refusing to interfere in the inter-bank currency trading and boost the national currency’s exchange rate.
(Vache Sarkisian)
The national commission on TV and radio is operating in a “very unpleasant atmosphere,” its chairman, Grigor Amalian, tells “Haykakan Zhamanak.” He complains that supporters of A1 Plus are trying to force it to take a “political decision.”
“Aravot” says remarks like this are just an excuse to justify the channel’s closure. The paper, writing on the night before the end of the frequency tender, says it is confident that most commission members will play into Kocharian’s tune and vote against A1 Plus.
“Hayots Ashkhar” says the country’s former rulers have no moral right to accuse the current authorities of stifling dissent as they themselves shut down many media outlets in the past. The paper wishes the public’s reaction to their closure had been as strong as it is now.
“Iravunk” says Tuesday will show whether Armenians have “the right to alternatives.” The paper refers to the decision of the licensing commission and the scheduled parliament vote on whether the opposition’s draft constitution should be put on a referendum. “In both cases, everything depends on the president’s will,” it says.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” comments that the weekend merger of the Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh) and the 21st Century party laid the groundwork for “the creation of a far more competitive electoral alliance.”
A parliament deputy from the Dashnaktsutyun party, Kim Balayan, is alarmed at the possibility of the HHSh’s return to power. But he tells “Hayots Ashkhar” that he rules out “Ter-Petrosian’s personal return to power.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” says the dram’s slow but steady weakening against the U.S. dollar is starting to have an impact on consumer prices. It says the Armenian Central Bank is refusing to interfere in the inter-bank currency trading and boost the national currency’s exchange rate.
(Vache Sarkisian)