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The necessity to make an addendum to the law is conditioned by the trends of introducing a system for rating TV channels and individual programmes and studying the demand and preferences of the TV audience.

The draft law on Making Addenda to the RA Law on Audiovisual Media was debated in the first reading at the extraordinary sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport on October 20.

The author of the draft Sisak Gabrielyan, highlighting the draft, noted that any regulation should first of all take place with the full and unfettered participation of the beneficiaries of the sector, that is, TV companies.

“The second principle and one of the most important points is that the lack of this regulation, in fact, made defenseless first of all the TV companies, which, actually, could own the streams coming from advertising, but for some reasons, this distribution, according to them, was taking place unfair. For example, if an advertising company ordered an advertisement in TV stations, it was measured,” the Committee Chair said.

It is proposed to authorize that at least 50% or more of the television companies in the Public Multiplex can create a Council that will choose the organization that performs the measurements of the television companies. The data of the latter will be the basis for the distribution of advertisements.

“It’s not about pricing, but about TV companies being sure that the organization they have chosen presents correct data on the ratings of the TV companies, and according to that, the money will be fairly distributed by the advertisers,” Sisak Gabrielyan underscored.

It was stated that there is currently one company operating in Armenia whose measurements do not reflect the real picture of the TV audience.

The key rapporteur mentioned that he had met with the representatives of all TV stations and all of them agreed with this regulation. The draft was debated in the executive body as well.

The Committee member Hakob Aslanyan inquired about the connection the state will have with the Council. Sisak Gabrielyan clarified that both the Commission on Television and Radio and the State Revenue Committee will carry out their supervisory functions. The Committee members think that the proposed regulation is aimed at protecting the interests of both advertisers and television companies.

The positive position of the Government regarding the draft was presented by the RA Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Avet Poghosyan. “Firstly, the bill regulates the sector, secondly, the participation of the state is zero, and finally it does not increase the financial burden for the state. These are the sufficient conditions that make our opinion about the draft positive,” he underlined.

The Committee endorsed the draft. It will be proposed to be included in the draft agenda of the upcoming NA sittings.