In 2016, the National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR) received 35 complaints from individuals and organizations on TV programs’ poor quality, lack of language purity, airing of dishonest advertising, and other issues.

According to NCTR lawyer Davit Margaryan, a large number of the complaints were regarding soap operas. “The complaints on the quality of the programs referred to soap operas — mainly Armenian [soap operas]. TV viewers voiced [their concerns] of the soap operas’ content (the script) as well as the characters’ vocabulary; that is, the show’s language. The complaints aren’t regarding specific shows, but the general situation.”

NCTR determined that the one or two complaints on dishonest advertising were unfounded.

The Commission fined 11 hotels who violated Article 60 Paragraphs 6, 22, and 23 of the RA Law on Television and Radio. Margaryan explained that until recently the law included a mandatory licensing requirement for rebroadcasting in hotels. As a result of amendments to the law, the hotels simply have to inform NCTR of the channels they are rebroadcasting and about their doing so legally. Eleven companies did not inform the Commission, for which they were fined.

According to the 2016 NCTR report, companies operating in the Commission’s regulatory sector during the reporting period provided revenues into the state budget: amounts charged for annual state taxes, penalties imposed for unpaid taxes, and the extension and reissue of the validity period of licenses. In 2016, from the mentioned sources, 198.3 million AMD was transferred to the state budget, including 1.3 million AMD in penalties. The penalties, according to Margaryan, were for the delay in paying state taxes.

As of last year, 95 TV companies operated in Armenia, 40 of which are territorial broadcasters and 55 are cable broadcasters. There are 18 radio companies.

Gagik Aghbalyan