On January 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia delivered a statement of protest to the Russian ambassador in Armenia. This protest was provoked by the broadcast of “artificially generated statements against Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” during the News of the Week program on the Russian TV channel RTR-Planeta.
This is not the first warning regarding the ideas expressed on Russian channels broadcasted in Armenia. In April of the previous year, the Television and Radio Commission banned the “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” and “Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” programs broadcast on the “RTR-Planeta” TV channel in the territory of Armenia.
Interestingly, the RA Minister of High-tech Industry, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan’s statement, preceded the MFA statement. At the January 9 press conference, the minister said that there is currently no content that negatively impacts the emotions of the RA people on any Russian channel broadcast in the public multiplex.
Mkhitar Hayrapetyan announced that Armenia will resubmit its proposals for the rebroadcasting of Russian TV channels in the public multiplex to Russia this January in order to amend the interstate agreement.
We discussed this topic with political scientist Edgar Vardanyan.
For nearly a year, the Armenian authorities have been negotiating the content of Russian channels broadcast within the Republic of Armenia. These channels often include false information, insults, and defamation. Some programs have already been removed from the air as a temporary solution. Can we expect that, in the future, the Armenian government will completely exclude Russian TV companies from the public multiplex?
Firstly, it is essential for Armenia to maintain consistency in this matter and to respond promptly whenever the provisions of the interstate agreement are violated. I believe Armenia should do more than merely react. A logical step would be to block the broadcasting of the “News of the Week” program in Armenia.
I believe Armenia has valid reasons to remove Russian TV channels from its public multiplex. Foreign television companies, especially those that are political in nature, should not be included in the public multiplex. This is particularly important for channels that promote anti-democratic propaganda, generate and spread hate speech, or engage in information warfare.
Regardless of Russia’s current stance towards Armenia or the nature of their relations—be it positive or negative—Russian channels should not be broadcast in Armenia.
The issue extends into the realm of foreign politics. Armenia has a significant dependence on Russia, which makes the Armenian authorities cautious. They fear that taking drastic actions could be seen as anti-Russian by Russia, potentially leading to severe repercussions for Armenia. This is the primary reason for their hesitance.
Is that fear justified?
I believe that the opinion circulating in Armenia regarding the influence of the Russian Federation on the current geopolitical situation is exaggerated and does not reflect the reality. The Kremlin places significant importance on cultural ties, the promotion of the Russian language, its role in the Second World War, and the Soviet past. The authorities in Armenia may think that removing Russian channels from the multiplex would upset the Kremlin.
Ilham Aliyev consistently emphasizes the popularity of the Russian language in Azerbaijan during his conversations with Vladimir Putin. He highlights the government’s significant investment in promoting Russian literature and culture. Aliyev is well aware that these remarks resonate positively with the Kremlin.
Besides, the RA authorities may note that there are relatively few consumers of Russian channels in Armenia, as these channels do not have a large viewership. Consequently, they do not implement drastic measures. Instead, they consistently express their concerns in a constructive way, demonstrating a willingness to resolve the issue through negotiations.
Do you mean that the Armenian authorities do not want to make the issue part of the broader Armenian-Russian relations agenda?
Apparently, high-ranking propagandists working within the state propaganda system cannot express opinions that contradict the Kremlin’s perspective. However, since these views are articulated by someone who identifies as a journalist, it becomes difficult to prove that the statements are made at the Kremlin’s direction.
The issue is likely to reach a deadlock, and the debate will lead nowhere. In my opinion, Armenia can address the issue more decisively, as there are valid grounds to remove these channels from the Public Multiplex.
Armenia has removed the Russian border guards from Zvartnots Airport. This action signifies a more substantial shift in Armenian-Russian relations compared to the earlier ban on broadcasting three TV channels.
I don’t think removing those channels from the multiplex will provoke any adverse reactions from the Russian Federation against Armenia.
At least it won’t create a negative perception of us. Despite Russia’s destructive policies, they will continue to pursue them. However, Armenia is raising the issue of withdrawing the Russian military base from its territory in the near future. This could have consequences, but it is not likely to significantly increase tensions between our two countries.
You mentioned that the RA authorities might refrain from taking drastic measures due to the small viewership of certain channels. However, data from the Television and Radio Commission indicates that “RTR-Planeta” is the leading Russian channel broadcast in Armenia, ranking 8th overall. This suggests that we may be underestimating the influence of Russian propaganda on our audience.
I conducted research with my colleague, Mikael Zolyan, which revealed that Russia is advancing neo-colonial and colonial narratives related to Armenia. A key method for this is through Russian media channels operating within Armenia. Therefore, this issue demands serious attention and consideration.