Public TV wants to create a news channel that broadcasts exclusively news.

The newly appointed executive director of the Public Television, Hovhannes Movsisyan, stated this on November 18, presenting the idea of a new channel to the Television and Radio Commission, where the applications for the slot licensing competition in the public multiplex are being collected.

He validated the idea with the increase of trust in Public News programs in recent years.

“During the war, the public focused more on media activities. And we realized that we had to have a news TV channel … And now half of the Public Broadcasting programs are news programs that are in demand.”

Hovhannes Movsisyan said that they will maintain objectivity, will be guided by public interests and present different political views.

“I assure you it will not be propagandic,” he said.

The directions of the new channel will be:

• News episodes at a frequency of once an hour,
• Providing live broadcasts with current information about events happening here and now,
• Legislation – not only coverage of the activities of the executive bodies but also the creation of analytical-explanatory content. The plan is to present the decisions and laws in on-site studios and to broadcast online,
• Awareness of the work of local self-government bodies, identifying local issues. Regional correspondents will take on this task,
• Airtime in cooperation with international media and the Diaspora,
• Artsakh Hour, the content of which will be prepared by Artsakh Public Television.

“Up till now, one or two reports were broadcast daily from Artsakh, while I think that Artsakh’s potential is much greater, we should try to enrich it on the air of the news channel,” Hovhannes Movsisyan said.

There will also be interviews and debates on the Public News Channel. The new executive director thinks that “at the moment, Public TV lacks new formats in the media-political sense.” In the future, we plan to have studios outside of Armenia in the United States, the Middle East and Russia.

“At the moment, the existing Public Service news service will be almost doubled,” Hovhannes Movsisyan stated.

Then he added that they will create a media school, where the main emphasis will be on journalism and broadcasting education.

“We will try to find new talents on the air, this will help us provide new staff to the general media field.”

Karen Tataryan, a representative of Public Television, also spoke at the TRC, quoting data. For example, in peacetime, the news on Public TV was 11%, and in 2020 it reached 37%.

“2020 has shown that force majeure events are constantly chasing us, replacing each other,” he said, explaining the change in the logic and structure of Public Broadcasting. First in the spring because of the coronavirus, and then in the fall because of the war.

“Various obligations defined by Public Law were pushed to the background, and the volume of information increased … It can be said that information is our main content. Creating a news channel will help fulfill our other responsibilities,” he said.

Hovhannes Movsisyan also spoke about bigger programs and the creation of several other channels in the future.

“The creation of a news channel is, in fact, one of the components of Public’s development programs, the first step. We are also going to create new TV channels in the cable network.”

In January 2021, it will be clear which channels will be licensed to use slots in the public multiplex for a period of seven years.

Within two months, the answer will be given by the Television and Radio Commission.

Nune Hakhverdyan