It Is Hard to Remember Any New Year When the Anthem Played at Midnight: Vahagn Tevosyan

Vahagn Tevosyan, a member of the ‘My Step’ faction in the National Assembly, made the following post on his Facebook page:

“Yesterday, the Television and Radio Commission held a meeting to discuss the issue of several television companies not broadcasting the Armenian anthem on New Year’s Eve. First, let’s note that it is hard to remember a New Year when the anthem has played at midnight, even though that is a legal requirement (perhaps I am remembering incorrectly, if so, I apologize). Furthermore, the law stipulates that this obligation falls especially on the shoulders of television companies. But that aside, during yesterday's meeting, it was recorded that the law on television and radio has provisions, but there is no specified penalty for non-compliance, and no proceedings have been initiated. It turns out that the issue has so far been left to the goodwill of the parties involved—broadcasting on the part of television companies, and on the part of the Commission, logically deciding whether to revoke or not revoke a license in cases of non-compliance.

Such incomplete regulations, and in some cases even their absence, in the legislation on the provision of audiovisual media services make the operations of television companies vulnerable and do not establish clarity about actions and expectations. It is expected that all these will be taken into account in the upcoming significant legislative reforms.”