MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2020) Armenia's newly signed law limiting the broadcast of foreign tv channels, including those of Russia, causes concerns, the Russian Union of Journalists' Secretary Timur Shafir told Sputnik.
Earlier on Wednesday, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a law limiting public multiplex option for foreign broadcasters. The law also requires foreign-language media content to be either subtitled or dubbed.
"Any actions to somehow restrict the work and rights of our fellow journalists cannot but cause concern. Hence the law signed by the president of Armenia is one of such developments," Shafir said.
According to Shafir, it begs the question of the need to require interstate agreements for foreign channels to continue broadcasting via public multiplex. He noted that it will be quite problematic to strike such agreements by January 2021, when the new rules enter into force.
Another unclear aspect is why the previous system of media licensing cannot continue.
"We will closely monitor the situation," he added.
The chairman of Armenia's National Commission on Television and Radio, Tigran Hakobyan, has said that the legislation was guided by information security concerns.
The Russian Embassy in Yerevan earlier expressed worries that the move would further undermine the rights of those speaking Russian that have been eroded since Armenia emerged as an independent state. The diplomatic mission has reaffirmed Russia's readiness for dialogue with Yerevan to settle the issue.
