[hr-media] OSCE media representative urges Armenian Parliament to drop amendments practically abolishing Radio Liberty's re-broadcasts

VIENNA, 28 June 2007 -- Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on
Freedom of the Media, criticized legal amendments that would ban
Armenian-language foreign media programmes on public-service broadcast
channels, and introduce heavy fees for those programmes on private
channels.

"As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is currently the only foreign media
outlet using the Armenian Public Radio frequency, the adoption of the
amendments would amount to a ban on their programmes in Armenia," wrote
Haraszti in his letter to the Chairman of the National Assembly Tigran
Torosyan.

The Representative pointed out that Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is an
alternative source of information in Armenia, providing a diversity of
opinion that is especially needed during election periods.

Haraszti called upon the National Assembly not to adopt the restrictive
amendments.

"The proposed changes to the Laws "On Television and Radio" and "On State
Duties" are incompatible with OSCE commitments to safeguard pluralism and
the free flow of information in the media," Haraszti concluded.

OSCE Press release