RFE/RL BROADCASTS DISRUPTED IN ARMENIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 002109

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN

E.O. 12958; N/A
TAGS: KPAO PGOV AM
SUBJECT: RFE/RL BROADCASTS DISRUPTED IN ARMENIA

REF: YEREVAN 1994

Sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly.

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcasts
were periodically inaudible for three days in Armenia
beginning on November 27, the day of the country's
constitutional referendum. Armenia's state-run Public Radio
claimed in a statement that the disruptions were due to
technical problems, perhaps with a new transmitter.
RFE/RL's Armenian Service Director, Hrach Melkumyan,
believes that the RFE/RL's problems were politically
motivated and were timed to ensure that broadcasts
particularly critical of the disputed referendum results
were inaudible. RFE/RL's Armenian Service technical
specialist Andranik Poghosian stated that, in his opinion,
Public Radio caused the disruptions by turning off its
transmitter. RFE/RL plans to send an official letter of
complaint to Public Radio. END SUMMARY.

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RFE/RL IS SILENCED ON THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS
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2. (SBU) According to Hrach Melkumyan, RFE/RL's Armenian
Service Director, the majority of RFE/RL's evening broadcast
was inaudible throughout the country on November 27, the day
of Armenia's constitutional referendum. Melkumyan stated
that, except for the first ten minutes, which focused on
international news, and the last five minutes, only static
could be heard during the program, which was one of RFE/RL's
three daily broadcasts in Armenia. Melkumyan noted that the
following morning, the beginning of RFE/RL's program when
members of the governing coalition were interviewed was
broadcast without disruption. When the reporter began to
interview opposition members Paruir Hayrikian of the Self-
Determination Union and Aram G. Sargsyan of the Democratic
Party, however, the broadcast became inaudible in Yerevan.
Melkumyan also said that on the evening of November 28,
RFE/RL's broadcast was back on the air in Yerevan but could
not be heard in Vanadzor, Armenia's third-largest city. He
mentioned that on the evening of November 29, as an
opposition rally was underway in Yerevan, RFE/RL's broadcast
was again inaudible throughout the country. According to
Melkumyan, the programs scheduled to be broadcast on these
three days featured news critical of the results of the
constitutional referendum, including reports of a sharp
contrast between official voter turnout and the largely
empty polling stations in Yerevan and nearby regions.

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PUBLIC RADIO CITES TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES...
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3. (SBU) On November 27, when RFE/RL first realized that its
7:00 p.m. broadcast was inaudible, Director Hrach Melkumyan
called state-run Public Radio. Alexander Harutiunian, the
Head of the Public TV and Radio Board, responded that he
would look into the matter. Later in the evening, Mr.
Harutiunian informed RFE/RL that the disruption was due to
technical problems and denied any political motives. In a
statement posted on its website the following morning,
Public Radio repeated this claim, stating that it recently
installed a new FM transmitter and that "it could be the
reason for technical disorders." The statement says that
"disturbances occurred also during 'Radiolur' informational-
analytical program of Public Radio of Armenia." Public
Radio told the U.S. Embassy that "Radiolur" experienced
broadcasting difficulties on November 27 and 29.

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...WHILE RFE/RL CLAIMS POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS
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4. (SBU) Hrach Melkumyan told the Embassy that he believes
RFE/RL's disruptions were politically motivated and were
timed to ensure that broadcasts particularly critical of the
referendum results could not be heard. Both Hrach Melkumyan
and Harry Tamrazian, RFE/RL's Prague-based Armenian Service
Director, noted that RFE/RL has repeatedly experienced
problems during national votes. The two directors also
stated that Alexander Harutiunian periodically called RFE/RL
expressing his disapproval of certain broadcasts and
attempting to influence reports. Melkumyan noted that
Harutiunian had stated on several occasions that he
monitored the content of RFE/RL broadcasts.

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RFE/RL EXPERT BELIEVES TRANSMITTER WAS TURNED OFF
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5. (SBU) RFE/RL's Armenian Service technical specialist
Andranik Poghosian stated that he believed Public Radio
caused the disruption in the broadcasts by turning off its
transmitter. Poghosian ruled out the possibility that
Public Radio broadcast a jamming signal, saying that this
would be too expensive and too complicated to carry out in
Armenia. He also stated that the radio relay system was
working throughout the three days and thus was not the
source of the problem. Poghosian noted that the transmitter
that Public Radio blamed was installed three months ago and
that RFE/RL did not experience any transmission difficulties
during these three months until November 27, the day of
Armenia's constitutional referendum.

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THE NEXT STEPS
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6. (SBU) Harry Tamrazian told the Embassy that RFE/RL's
Prague-based management division would send an official
letter of complaint to Armenian Public Radio. The
Ambassador will support RFE/RL's attempts to ensure the
uninterrupted broadcast of its programs by emphasizing U.S.
support for freedom of speech at a lunch on December 6 with
newspaper editors and television directors, including
Alexander Harutiunian. We will also raise the issue of
RFE/RL's ability to broadcast with appropriate GOAM
officials.

EVANS