Tigran Hakobyan: Notsingle public multiplex company to be profitable  in 2025

ArmInfo.   Not a single public multiplex company will be profitable in 2025? This was stated by Tigran Hakobyan, Chairman of the National Television and Radio  Commission (NTRC), during a press conference on February 5.

He noted that over the past 5-6 years, the National Assembly of  Armenia has adopted certain amendments to the Advertising Law, which  have entirely good intentions-for example, a ban on gambling  advertising.  Furthermore, these amendments oblige these television  companies to fill 20% of their content with public- interest  programming (children's, cultural, and sports), and to provide daily  sign-language translation for news and children's programs. All of  this, as Hakobyan noted, entails significant expenses. "On the one  hand, you are reducing the advertising space through legislative  initiatives, but on the other, you are increasing obligations." "In  other words, the television landscape has been so purged that it's  empty because companies can't make money," the head of the NCTR  emphasized. He added that some television companies are still  broadcasting for political purposes, as their goal is to shape the  political agenda rather than accumulate profits; others rely on  grants, etc. "But we are concerned that some slots may be empty in  2027-2028," Hakobyan noted.

He emphasized that the public multiplex has its own philosophy and  mission, which it cannot fulfill under the current circumstances.  This has led to it becoming unprofitable as a business. In this vein,  Hakobyan pointed to the need to support television channels  broadcasting within the public multiplex. "The main challenge we face  is to support the public multiplex so that it can fulfill its  mission. We need a concept for a public multiplex, but so far the  state hasn't gotten around to it." "The issues are being resolved  piecemeal, but the threats remain, unfortunately," he concluded.