GOAM REJECTS A1+ BROADCAST TENDER APPLICATION

UNCLAS YEREVAN 003091 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN; DRL; EUR/PPD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL AM SUBJECT: GOAM REJECTS A1+ BROADCAST TENDER APPLICATION FOR SEVENTH TIME ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Armenia's Radio and Television National Commission announced December 30 that it would reject the bid of the A1+ media group for the last available television frequency. The announcement marked the seventh time since 2002 (the fourth time this year) that the GOAM rejected a bid by the controversial but popular media organization. Critics of the move called it a de facto ban on A1+ as retribution for critical reports on President Robert Kocharian's administration. The OSCE and foreign missions in Yerevan (including the Embassy) expressed concern over previous rejections of A1+ bids as detrimental to press freedom in Armenia. Another frequency will not become available for re- tendering until 2008, meaning A1+ will probably be out of operation for the duration of Kocharian's second term in office. ¶3. (SBU) Radio and Television National Commission President Grigor Amalyan stood by the decision, citing problems with A1+'s business plan as the reason for the rejection. He denied allegations that the winner of this latest bid, Yerkir-Media, was officially linked to the ruling coalition member Dashnaksutiun (ARF) party. (Comment: Armenian media law forbids political parties from owning broadcast media outlets. Claims that the ARF does not control Yerkir-media are weak at best. The decision to grant the bid to Yerkir-Media could be a violation of current media law as well as another move against A1+. End comment.) President Kocharian made similarly unapologetic comments regarding the decision, claiming that opposition viewpoints already got considerable airtime in Armenia even without A1+. WALKER