National and private TV companies have already publicized the pricelist of political ads for the elections due May 6. It is one of the requirements of the law that the price of the political ad cannot exceed the prices of ads set for average commercials on TV channels for the past 6 months prior to elections. These prices cannot be changed until the end of the pre-election campaign. Because of this requirement of the election code the TV companies had to reduce the price for the minute of the political ads compared to elections 2007. The majority of the prices were yesterday posted on the website of Radio Liberty. According to that, the highest price of the political ads is going to be on Shant TV – 120,000 AMD per minute. During the elections of 2007 the minute of the political ad cost 108,000 AMD on Shant. Next is Armenia TV, where the minute of the political ad costs 110,000 AMD (in 2007 the price was 130,000 AMD). The progress for the environment of ads can be considered the fact that unlike the previous election cycle besides the abovementioned glamorous TV channels other channels have essentially reduced their prices. For example, the price of the minute of a political ad is 36,000 AMD instead of 100,000 AMD in 2007; on Kentron TV the price is 32,000 AMD per minute instead of 100,000 in 2007. ArmNews TV channel has set the cheapest price for political ads – 18,000 AMD per minute. In the background of especially the last three TV channels the price of ads on Public TV is incomparably higher – 80,000 AMD per minute just like in 2007. Besides the Public TV, all the above-mentioned TV companies are private and can set the maximum price of political ads allowed by the law. But the same cannot be said about Public TV, which, if stayed loyal to its mission, should have created the maximum favorable conditions for equal opportunities for all the political parties. It should have defined the lowest possible price for political ads. However, the public TV allots most of its airing time to the ruling coalition parties to provide free of charge ads for them (the majority of news programs are allotted to them). In the meantime it gains essential money at the expense of the opposition. Moreover, what’s astounding about the Public TV is that this process is officially directed and instructed by the director of the news programs Samvel Farmanyan, who, as it’s known, is going to run as a single-mandate candidate in district #2 and the RPA is going to endorse him. Two days ago he assured on Public TV that he was going to do everything to provide equal airing time for all the political parties. If anybody believes in that, than he/she should go to the closest RPA chapter and become part of the commitment to “hold the most transparent and free elections.” You can do it even if you are a former member of the Legal State.
