WikiLeaks-Armenia No 46
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001075
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT’S OFFICE INSTITUTES CONTROL OVER BROADCAST MEDIA
Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d)
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SUMMARY
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¶1. (C) A number of media analysts and press representatives have reported that the GOAM [Government of Armenia] is exerting increasing control over the broadcast media, and that this pressure is being exercised directly by the Armenian President’s office. These controls appear to include requirements that television stations clear political guests and programs with the president’s office. In addition, several media representatives report that the president’s office has ordered television stations not to give air time to certain well-known opposition figures. Armenia’s broadcast television market has become remarkably profitable; TV directors are hesitant to take steps that would reduce their access to this revenue. With parliamentary and presidential elections approaching in 2007 and 2008 respectively, these controls over the media call into question the GOAM’s commitment to holding free and fair elections. We will engage with senior GOAM officials to seek to address these concerns, but suggest that this situation highlights how important the early arrival of long-term OSCE/ODIHR observers is in advance of elections early next year. End Summary.
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GOAM INCREASES CONTROL OVER THE BROADCAST MEDIA
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¶2. (C) Several press representatives have told us that the GOAM is exercising strong control over the media, and that this pressure is coming directly from Presidential Spokesperson Victor Soghomonian and Presidential Chief of Staff Armen Gevorgian. While Soghomonian asserted in letters sent to the OSCE and Council of Europe last month that opposition politicians were provided access to television air time (Ref A), Yerevan Press Club Head and media expert Boris Navasardyan (protect) told us that during the past year the GOAM has in fact increased pressure on the broadcast media. According to Navasardyan, while the GOAM has always exerted influence over the media, in the past year it has established a “system of control” over television stations.
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PRESIDENT’S OFFICE REPORTED TO APPROVE ALL TV GUESTS
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¶3. (C) Boris Navasardyan, as well as Aram Abrahamyan, editor-in-chief of Aravot daily and host of Yerkir TV’s “Press Club” television program, told us that television stations are required to vet political guests with the President’s office and to report programming decisions to the office on a regular basis. According to both sources, the frequency with which a station is required to report to the President’s office depends on the extent to which it is trusted by the GOAM. They said that stations considered to be less pro-government are required to report on a daily basis, while completely pro-government stations such as Public TV are simply trusted to understand what political figures should not be given air time.
¶4. (C) Petros Ghazaryan, host of Kentron TV’s “Outline” political talk-show and former Director of Kentron television station, told us that he is required to approve all guests on his program, as well as new political programs, with the President’s office. According to Ghazaryan, he often calls the President’s office more than once a day and spends up to 70 percent of his time at work clearing guests. (Note: While this figure is surely an exaggeration, we get Ghazaryan’s point. End Note.) Ghazaryan said that while he is generally allowed to host opposition figures, sometimes the President’s office “suggests” that he invite a different opposition leader, often choosing a politician who will appear less credible and less informed.
¶5. (C) Ghazaryan indicated to us that programming with political content is also subject to approval by the president’s office. According to Ghazaryan, he had previously been denied permission to start a new political talk-show, having been told by the president’s office that Kentron TV had “enough” talk-shows. However, Ghazaryan told us he now has been given consent to start two new talk-shows in September. According to him, the change is because Kentron TV owner and Prosperous Armenia Party founder Gagik Tsarukyan has established close relations with President Kocharian.
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PRESIDENT’S OFFICE BANS CERTAIN OPPOSITION FIGURES FROM TV
¶6. (C) According to Boris Navasardyan and Aram Abrahamyan, the president’s office has a blacklist of politicians that cannot appear on their shows. Petros Ghazaryan supported this claim, saying that the presidential office has informed him which politicians should not receive air time. According to Ghazaryan, all television stations know that they are not allowed to broadcast interviews with three opposition leaders: Republic Party Chairman Aram Sargsyan, New Times Party Chairman Aram Karapetyan, and Heritage Party Chairman Raffi Hovhannisyan. Ghazaryan said that he has also been told not to broadcast interviews with certain representatives of former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s Armenian National Movement (ANM). Other media representatives, including host of Armenia TV’s “Express” news program Gevorg Altunyan, confirmed that this is the case. (Note: Aram Sargsyan, Aram Karapetyan, and Raffi Hovhannisyan, as well as ANM leaders including party chairman Ararat Zarubyan, have very rarely appeared on television since the last parliamentary and presidential elections in 2003. Any appearances have generally been clips of events in which they have participated, rather than interviews. End Note.)
¶7. (C) Hovsep Khurshudyan, Chief of the Constitutional Committee of the Heritage Party, told us that there has been a complete blockade of dissemination of information about Raffi Hovhannisian (Ref B). According to Khurshudyan, multiple broadcasters have told him that they have received orders from the president’s office forbidding them from giving Hovhannisian air time.
¶ 8.(C) As an example, Khurshudyan told us that Yerkir TV’s “Press Club” program invited Raffi Hovhannisian to appear on its July 11 show, only later to receive a letter saying that the program had been canceled due to studio renovations. Gegham Manukyan, Director of Yerkir TV, confirmed that the show had been “postponed.” According to Manukyan, the program decided to begin its summer break earlier than expected in order to move to a new, larger studio. Manukyan claimed that he expected Hovhannisian to participate in the “Press Club” program in September when it resumed programming.
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TELEVISION STATIONS CENSOR EACH OTHER
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¶9. (C) Boris Navasardyan told us that, instead of fighting against government pressure, television stations are making matters worse by instituting an insidious practice of “cross-censorship.” According to Navasardyan, if a television station notices a different station broadcasting a figure it has been asked not to broadcast, it will ask the President’s office to enforce the same limits on all stations. Aram Abrahamyan supported this assessment, stating that by allegedly looking out for their own interests, television stations are actually aiding the censorship process by monitoring each other.
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COMMENT
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¶10. (C) It appears that the GOAM is tightening its control over Armenian broadcast media. With advertising revenues exploding, television station owners would rather knuckle under than risk interrupting the unprecedented revenues of the past six months. The vast majority of Armenians receiving their news from television (no newspaper has a print-run of larger than 5,000 copies per day); focusing on television stations allows the GOAM to control most information and commentary available to the public. As parliamentary and presidential elections approach, the GOAM’s increasing control over the television industry calls into question its assurances that it will hold free and fair elections in 2007 and 2008. We will engage with senior GOAM officials to seek to address these concerns, but suggest that this situation highlights how important the early arrival of long-term OSCE/ODIHR observers is in advance of elections early next year.
EVANS
