CHIEFS OF 17 ARMENIAN MASS MEDIA PROTEST AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO USE JOURNALISTS WITH POLITICAL VIEWS

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chiefs of 17 Armenian TV channels, newspapers, information agencies and radio stations have come out with a statement concerning the attempts of some political forces to use hullabaloo around the National commission on TV and radio decision regarding «A1+» TV channel to accomplish their own tasks. Expressing protest against the campaign begun to inveigle mass media into political games, the authors of the statement condemn the actions of parties and individuals, who use speech protection slogans with pre-electoral views. The statement stresses that today those who while being in power «to put it mildly, did not attach importance to freedom of speech and other democratic gains» state their concern about limiting freedom of speech in the country from meeting rostrums. The document notes that their unrest does not have serious grounds. The colleagues express confidence that in spite of being defeated in the contest, «A1+» TV company has taken and will take its merited place in the country information field. Regarding the decision of the National commission on TV and radio the statement authors consider that the problem is to be solved within the legal field exclusively. The statement was signed by the representatives of «Respublika Armenia», «Hayastani Hanrapetutyun», «Novoye Vremya», «Zhamanak», «Golos Armenii», «Hayots Ashkharh», «Azg» newspapers, «Arminfo», «De-Facto», «Armenpress» information agencies, «Armenia», «Prometheus», «Shant», «Yerevan», «Ar» TV channels, as well as of Public Television Company of Armenia and Public Radio.