Private radio and television broadcasting began to develop only at the beginning of 1990’s. Therefore, the regulation of this field started with the adoption of the Law on Television and Radio (2000) and the formation of the National Committee for Television and Radio in 2001. Today, in Armenia, there is one Public TV Company and one Public Radio Company. There are more than 40 private broadcasters, 20 Radio companies, and more than 60 TV companies in Yerevan and the regions. However, the number of public and private radio broadcasters in rural areas is significantly lower compared to the capital Yerevan. There are only three country-wide radio stations, including public radio and three private channels available to citizens living outside of the capital, while radio listeners of the capital city enjoy 21 radio stations, including three public radio channels[1].
The correlation between the Armenian-language material in television broadcasts and foreign-language ones varies, depending on the TV channel, but the averages is about 55%-45% (see also chapter 5.3.7). According to the Law, the same company may not obtain a broadcasting license for the same geographic location for both radio and television. According to amendments to the RA Law on Television and Radio, approved on 20 May 2010, Armenia is to move to digital broadcasting. Frequencies are distributed on a competitive basis, however, until recently no guarantees of the transparency and fair choice were given. The competition was usually claimed to be unfair by the TV companies that were unsuccessful.[2] Since 2018, the situation improved, however, according to the Media Needs Assessment report (2022)[3], in 2019-2020 the independence of the Council of Public Television and Radio Company was still considered a critical area. Although the underlying law has been changed since then, the current legal guarantees do not suffice, either. The governance of the Armenian public media system still lacks a critical set of guarantees for independent functioning and the meaningful realisation of its capacities.
There are press agencies in Armenia that cooperate with CIS member countries and similar world major agencies disseminate everyday information. “Armenpress” is the oldest press agency in Armenia, operating since 1921. Two other agencies that have been formed since 1991 are “Noyan Tapan” and “Arminfo”, a private agency. There are also news agencies: “Mediamax”, “De Facto”, “Arka”, “Regnum” and photoagencies: “Photolur” and “Patker”. There are 5 daily newspapers, including “Aravot” (Morning), “Azg” (Nation), “Haykakan jamanak” (Armenian Times), and “Hayots Ashkharh” (Armenian World). All of them are private. There are 20 regional newspapers published at least once a month, with an overall circulation of about 10,000 copies. Periodicals are divided into ones supporting the authorities and the opposition press. However, since 2018 political positions of newspapers have changed. Thus, if previously “Haykakan jamanak” (Armenian Times) was one of the leading opposition press outlets, currently it mostly reflects the interests and opinions of the ruling “Civil agreement” party and vice versa the previous pro-governmental Russian-language news-paper “Golos Armenii” or a number of politically-biased news-papers such as Azg, Hayots Asgkharh, Iravunk are currently positioning themselves as opposition media. A lot of printed and broadcast media belonging to leaders of the previous, pre-revolutionary regime are now also positioning themselves as the opposition ones. Currently, the media situation is unusual in Armenia, as the opposition media are strongly surpassing in number and coverage the pro-government media.
Since Soviet times, there have been publications of children’s and youth periodicals. After independence, a number of new periodicals emerged – “Khatutik”, “Manana”, “Lolo”, “Urakh Gnatsk” (“Merry Train”). However, currently some of them no longer exist and the general decrease in the number of children-oriented media may be noticed. In general, the significant decrease in printed media is observed, which is caused by the digital media boom. A big number of printed and broadcast media companies and outlets have switched to online format (Hetq.am, Lragir.am, Tert.am, Azatutyun.am, Iravaban.net, 168.am, Razm.info, Photolure.am, Panarmenian.net, etc.) and new ones (like Boon.TV) were created as online companies. Many media outlets are reported to just reproduce the content of social networks.[4]
Besides the politically-oriented media, there are also social, political, literary and cultural newspapers – “Yerevani Hamaynapatker”, “Noyan Tapan” in English, the newspapers “Grakan tert”, “Grqeri Ashkharh”, as well as the magazines “Garun”, “Nor Dar”, “Norq”, and “Literaturnaya Armenia”. There are also thematic periodicals (comics, scientific, philosophical, religious and so on), but they do not have a great number of readers in Armenia. Academic periodicals include those published by the universities (“Banber Yerevani Hamalsarani”, “Vestnik RAU”, etc), and by the Academia of Sciences (“Lraber Hasarakakan gitutiunneri”, “Hayastani bzhshkagitutyun”, “Hayastani qimiakan handes”, etc.). Academic media are currently undergoing some revision processes on their way to becoming peer-reviewed and to be included in the international databases like Scopus or Web of Science.
Several papers of ethnic minorities are published in Armenia in ethnic languages such as Ezdikhana, Lalesh, “Assyrian news” (in Russian, with two obligatory pages in Assyrian, funded by the Armenian government), “Magen David” (in Russian and partly in Hebrew) and the Russian-language news-papers “Golos Armenii” and “Novoe Vremya”. The daily radio programme “Voice of Yerevan” broadcast on Program One is issued in 4 languages, Yezidi – 60 minutes, Kurdish – 30 minutes, Assyrian – 15 minutes and Greek – 15 minutes.
Subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals are low, due to the high prices related to expenses for publication and dissemination and a weak market for advertising. The lack of financial investments for the control of media groups and the small salaries of the journalists also hinder progress in this field. Media are surviving by advertisement and private political investments which increases their political engagement.
[1] Media Needs Assessment report (2022), organised by the Council of Europe, by Dr Krisztina Rozgonyi and Shushan Doydoyan
[2] Diversity report
[3] Media Needs Assessment report (2022), organised by the Council of Europe, by Dr Krisztina Rozgonyi and Shushan Doydoyan
[4] Armenian media in the epoch of Social networks, research report, 2022
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