TV Digitalization Will Cost $50-60 USD for Each Armenian Family

The Armenian National Assembly has started the discussion of the Government-proposed bill of amendments to the “Law about TV and Radio,” that will see the Armenian television system digitalized.

Only 18 out of 24 TV channels will be aired as soon as these amendaments are implemented. The amendaments envisage the digitalization of 3 airing frequencies. Each of them will air 6 channels.

This licensing process of the Armenian TV channels will start from June 1 and will end by January 31,2011. The Government has alloted about 10-12 million AMD for the whole digitalization process. This includes also compensation, from the state budget, for the socially vulnerable class in an attempt to help them install special parts to their TVs otherwise they will not be able to watch the digitalized TV channels.

The special parts mentioned will cost about $50-60 USD (19,200-23040 AMD per 384 exchange rate).

The digitalization process is planned to last till 2015.

Ironically, the Government proposed the bill to the National Assembly’s approval as an obligatory one, while the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport has not managed to discuss the bill before it would have entered the four-day parliamentary session that started on May 17.