Epress.am News from Armenia
Asparez Journalists’ Club yesterday sent its second letter to Grigor Amalyan, the president of Armenia’s National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR), highlighting the results of its Jan. 1 monitoring of Armenian Public TV (H1).
Recall that on Jan. 10, Asparez sent its first letter to the NCTR president, in which it outlined the violations the journalists’ club found as a result of its monitoring of H1 on Dec. 31.
In the second letter, Asparez notes that during the 24-hour period from midnight on Dec. 31 to midnight on Jan. 1, the television station broadcast 2 hours, 20 minutes and 28 seconds of commercials, which comprised 9.75% of the overall programming on the station that day. Asparez notes that this is a violation of the RA Law on TV and Radio, which stipulates that advertisements must not exceed 7% of overall programming.
On thirteen occasions, the volume of commercial advertising broadcast per hour exceeded 4 minutes and 12 seconds (again, more than the maximum 7% defined by law). No violations were recorded in the remaining 11 instances (in the 24-hour period). In 7 instances, the volume of commercial advertising in a one-hour period exceeded 10 minutes.
Asparez also noted particular examples of programs and film series on H1 during which the volume of advertising broadcast violated the RA Law on Advertising.
Asparez Journalists’ Club Chair Levon Barseghyan asks Amalyan to examine the facts noted in the letter and take appropriate action toward making those responsible for the violations accountable for their actions.