For a plurality of voices

Published: Saturday July 28, 2007

In the bad old days of the Cold War, the U.S. government reached out by radio to people living behind the Iron Curtain. People who wanted an alternative to the news in Pravda would listen clandestinely to the broadcasts of Radio Liberty and Radio Free Europe.

Times have changed. The broadcasts continue. But in Armenia, they are not clandestine. Far from it, they have been carried for many years now by state-owned Public Radio. In addition, they appear online and on private radio stations as well.

Radio Liberty's news programming is prepared five days a week by a well-trained team of journalists and editors. They generally exhibit good judgment in their choice of topics to cover - social phenomena and popular protests as well as economic developments and government initiatives - and they are usually meticulous in giving voice to the various parties involved in any controversy.

Earlier this month, Armenia's parliament, in special session, considered a pair of bills proposed by the government that would have taken Radio Liberty off Public Radio and imposed a stiff fee on private broadcasters that chose to air Armenian editions of foreign programs - such as Radio Liberty and the Voice of America, which is broadcast by Armenia TV, our affiliate. The bills failed to pass.

Now the Public Broadcasting Commission has decided on its own to take Radio Liberty off Public Radio. The news program can, however, continue to be broadcast on private radio stations, including those that reach every corner of Armenia.

There can be legitimate debate about whether it is appropriate for Armenia's state-owned broadcaster to distribute programming sponsored by a foreign government.

Nonetheless, Armenia has a profound interest in maintaining a plurality of voices, a multiplicity of reliable news sources. Beyond the upcoming presidential elections, there's Armenia's continued economic growth, the Karabakh conflict, and Armenia's role in the region; these and other important ongoing developments require sustained fact-finding and reporting.

Radio Liberty is one of the serious and popular sources of news programming in Armenia. It should continue to be available across Armenia - if not on Public Radio, then on a privately held station or stations.