Having airtime on TV is a vital need for many of the political forces participating in the elections. As before, the forces nominated for the 2021 elections used the free air of Public Television. Most of them also paid to communicate with the voters through this TV channel.

The public broadcaster set a low price for the election campaign “to create an equal and competitive environment.” The price per minute was 45 thousand AMD. For comparison, let us mention that on the channels Armenia and Shant TV the price was estimated at 100 thousand AMD.

Several political forces bought equal airtime in public. The “Civil Contract,” the “Armenia” Alliance, the “Shirinyan-Babajanyan” bloc, the “Bright Armenia” each bought about 39 minutes.

The “Republic” party bought about 36 minutes worth, the PAP, the “Our Home is Armenia” party, and the “I have honor” bloc bought 35 minutes each. The ANC bought 28 minutes. Nine political forces did not pay for Public TV at all, and some of them paid very little, even only a minute (“Sovereign Armenia,” “Fair Armenia”). These are mainly the forces that did not direct money towards TV or had an alternative to organizing a campaign.

The “Armenia” Alliance bought the most airtime on Armenia (159 minutes), followed by “I have honor” (141 minutes), and the Civil Contract was in third place (113 minutes).

On Shant, the “I have honor” bloc has spent as much as on the air of Armenia. The “Armenia” Alliance bought the most airtime on this TV company at about 266 minutes. On Shant, the Civil Contract party bought about 134 minutes, the ANC 98 minutes.

PAP bought relatively short airtime on Armenia and Shant, about 30 minutes each.

PAP bought the most airtime on Kentron TV – about 116 minutes. The “Armenia” Alliance bought 118 minutes here, “I have honor” – 98, “Bright Armenia” – 78. The other political forces did not buy airtime on Kentron TV for their campaign.

The main airtime of A-TV was bought by the “Armenia” Alliance and Civil Contract – 158 and 127 minutes, respectively.

The PAP, the “Armenia” Alliance, “I have honor” bought equal minutes in Yerkir Media, they bought about 95 minutes. Civil Contract bought 85 minutes, “Bright Armenia” bought 78 minutes, and the ANC bought 30 minutes.

Free News is one of the TV companies that sold a lot of airtime, for which the Civil Contract party and the “Armenia” Alliance competed, each bought about 250 minutes, and the PAP bought about 100 minutes.

“I have honor,” “Our Home is Armenia” party and “Armenia” Alliance bought the most airtime from ArmNews – 242, 240, 236 minutes, respectively.

The 5th Channel sold relatively little time: the “Armenia” Alliance bought 47 minutes, the PAP – 45 minutes, “Our home is Armenia” – 48 minutes, “I have honor” – 47 minutes, and the Civil Contract – 44 minutes.

The Civil Contract bought the most airtime from New Armenia TV – about 158 minutes, and the PAP bought 117. In the case of Century 21, the image is the same, the most time was sold to the Civil Contract and the PAP, 193 and 117 minutes, respectively.

In general, the “Armenia” Alliance bought the most airtime, the Civil Contract is in second place, “I have honor” in third. During the previous elections, the PAP “saved” financial resources from the active political forces on the air, instead, the “Bright Armenia” and “Our Home is Armenia” parties were active.

In the near future, Media.am will also summarize how much money the political forces have spent on political advertising and how those funds were distributed according to the TV companies.

Gayane Asryan