New restrictions for foreign TV programs
Mkhitaryan Hayrapetyan, the Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia, has submitted a draft of amendments to the Law on Audiovisual Media for parliamentary discussion. The project aims to establish new regulations in the television sector by applying sanctions against foreign programs that interfere with Armenia’s internal political life.
According to the Minister, the current law, adopted in July 2020, primarily regulates the public multiplex domain—the 26 television channels that have free-to-air broadcasting across the entire republic. The proposed amendments intend to extend the same regulations currently applicable to the public multiplex to network operators, specifically cable television companies.
A special regulation is also envisaged in the draft for foreign channels that operate outside of Armenia but are accessible here through network operators. If content interfering with Armenia’s internal political life is detected on these channels, the Television and Radio Commission may apply sanctions against the network operator. In case of non-compliance, the network operator itself will be held liable.
