Armenia plans to reduce Russian TV channels, open door for French programming

Armenia is set to scale back the number of Russian television channels broadcast through its public multiplex, potentially making room for French programming, said Tigran Hakobyan, the Chairman of the Commission on Television and Radio.

Hakobyan emphasized the need to reassess the country's current broadcast lineup, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

“If we had not given Russia frequencies in our public multiplex in due time, there would not have been the tension in our relations the year before last. Now the French side wants frequencies. I believe that the presence of foreign TV companies in our public multiplex should be significantly reduced,” Hakobyan stated.

Currently, only Russian channels are rebroadcast in Armenia via the public multiplex, including First Channel, Culture, and RTR-Planeta.

The shift comes amid growing diplomatic recalibrations and media influence considerations within Armenia. On April 8, Hakobyan had already revealed that two French TV channels had formally expressed interest in joining the country's public multiplex—a move that may now be gaining traction.

Hakobyan clarified that one of the two French TV channels seeking inclusion is Arte France, which recently broadcast a live map of the South Caucasus that omitted Armenia. The channel later issued an apology for the oversight.

The commission chairman noted the potential backlash such a program would have caused if it had been aired on Armenia's public multiplex, urging consideration of the public's reaction to such content.

The proposed changes reflect Armenia's broader strategy to diversify its media landscape and possibly recalibrate the balance of foreign content aired on domestic platforms. No specific timeline has yet been announced for when the reduction or changes will take place.

By Vafa Guliyeva