Tweet
TIGRAN KARAPETYAN PLANS TO FIGHT FOR ALM TV IN EUROPEAN COURT
Vahe Sarukhanyan
http://hetq.am/en/society/t-karapetyan-14/
2010/12/17
Says he will purchase a regional TV station
Commenting on yesterday's decision by Armenia's State Radio and
Television Committee that deprived his ALM TV company a digital
broadcasting license, Tigran Karapetyan labelled the process "unfair".
ALM Holding lost out to Yerevan TV in yesterday's balloting by the
Committee. "We invested 600 million to their 400. We have 83 employees,
they have only 42. We have a building, they don't," noted Karapetyan
at a press conference held today.
However, the businessman said that he respected the decision of the
Committee and that Yerevan TV won fair and square. Karapetyan also
implied that a last minute directive from on high instructed the
Committee members to vote against his company.
He said that he would fight to the very end for a medium to stay in
touch with the people and mentioned an on-line variant. The feisty
politician also promised that he would take his complaint to the
European Court for adjudication, even though he said he expected the
Court to rule against him.
Karapetyan, who made the bulk of his fortune in Russia, also said that
he had sought the help of friends there and that they had promised
to contribute a few million dollars to his cause.
He said the funds would be used to purchase a regional TV station or
buy shares in an operating one.
"I will not allow certain people to restrict freedom of speech in
Armenia," Karapetyan declared.
Regarding the Committee's vote against granting broadcasting rights
to the opposition-based A1+ TV, Karapetyan argued that this too was a
"politically inspired" decision.
He said that had the Committee granted A1+ a license, the government
would have suffered a heart attack.
"A1+ is seen as a real threat to the authorities in power," Karapetyan
argued.
From: A. Papazian
Vahe Sarukhanyan
http://hetq.am/en/society/t-karapetyan-14/
2010/12/17
Says he will purchase a regional TV station
Commenting on yesterday's decision by Armenia's State Radio and
Television Committee that deprived his ALM TV company a digital
broadcasting license, Tigran Karapetyan labelled the process "unfair".
ALM Holding lost out to Yerevan TV in yesterday's balloting by the
Committee. "We invested 600 million to their 400. We have 83 employees,
they have only 42. We have a building, they don't," noted Karapetyan
at a press conference held today.
However, the businessman said that he respected the decision of the
Committee and that Yerevan TV won fair and square. Karapetyan also
implied that a last minute directive from on high instructed the
Committee members to vote against his company.
He said that he would fight to the very end for a medium to stay in
touch with the people and mentioned an on-line variant. The feisty
politician also promised that he would take his complaint to the
European Court for adjudication, even though he said he expected the
Court to rule against him.
Karapetyan, who made the bulk of his fortune in Russia, also said that
he had sought the help of friends there and that they had promised
to contribute a few million dollars to his cause.
He said the funds would be used to purchase a regional TV station or
buy shares in an operating one.
"I will not allow certain people to restrict freedom of speech in
Armenia," Karapetyan declared.
Regarding the Committee's vote against granting broadcasting rights
to the opposition-based A1+ TV, Karapetyan argued that this too was a
"politically inspired" decision.
He said that had the Committee granted A1+ a license, the government
would have suffered a heart attack.
"A1+ is seen as a real threat to the authorities in power," Karapetyan
argued.
From: A. Papazian