Margarita Grigoryan, the executive director of the Public Television, has resigned. In her statement, she said that she shares the responsibility to publish the footage recorded before the broadcast with the Prime Minister.

“I have been subjected to such media attacks for years and I understand what it feels like to be stabbed in the back. I’m sorry for what happened. At this juncture for the country, such media vandalism is unforgivable at this stage of the development of Public Television.”

On April 17, the Public Television aired technical tests of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s video message (it is not known by whom, as the open channel signal was available to eight different TV channels), a video mocking the Prime Minister was created and was spread on social networks.

The Prime Minister’s Spokesman and Public Television blamed each other for what happened. Meanwhile, on social networks, they demanded to find and severely punish the culprits of the information “leak.” And the name of the executive director of Public Television was mentioned the most.

Grigoryan said that she was sincerely distraught by the steps taken in violating their partnership and ethical principles.

“During days like these, the employees of Public Television have proved that the most important thing is having professional qualities, regardless of technical shortcomings. I thank all the employees of Public, my colleagues, for their dedication to the broadcast,” she wrote.

According to the press, other employees of management will leave with Margarita Grigoryan, but there is no such information at the moment.

Margarita Grigoryan worked for Public Television for seven years, first during the presidency of Ruben Jaghinyan and then during the presidency of the Public Television and Radio Council of Ara Shirinyan.

In her statement, Grigoryan said that over the past few years, the TV company has undergone a major overhaul, a digital archive has been created, the TV station has been equipped with modern equipment, new TV projects and programs have been filmed, and educational and cultural programs have been popularized.

According to the Law on Television and Radio, the Television and Radio Council must announce a competition for the vacant position of Executive Director. The election of the Executive Director of Public Radio has already taken place in Armenia using such a procedure.

The executive director of Public Television is appointed and dismissed by a simple majority of the votes of Board members.

Gayane Asryan