US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN2109

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 002109 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN 
 
E.O. 12958; N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PGOV, AM 
SUBJECT: RFE/RL BROADCASTS DISRUPTED IN ARMENIA 
 
REF: YEREVAN 1994 
 
Sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (SBU) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcasts 
were periodically inaudible for three days in Armenia 
beginning on November 27, the day of the country's 
constitutional referendum.  Armenia's state-run Public Radio 
claimed in a statement that the disruptions were due to 
technical problems, perhaps with a new transmitter. 
RFE/RL's Armenian Service Director, Hrach Melkumyan, 
believes that the RFE/RL's problems were politically 
motivated and were timed to ensure that broadcasts 
particularly critical of the disputed referendum results 
were inaudible.  RFE/RL's Armenian Service technical 
specialist Andranik Poghosian stated that, in his opinion, 
Public Radio caused the disruptions by turning off its 
transmitter.  RFE/RL plans to send an official letter of 
complaint to Public Radio.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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RFE/RL IS SILENCED ON THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS 
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2. (SBU) According to Hrach Melkumyan, RFE/RL's Armenian 
Service Director, the majority of RFE/RL's evening broadcast 
was inaudible throughout the country on November 27, the day 
of Armenia's constitutional referendum.  Melkumyan stated 
that, except for the first ten minutes, which focused on 
international news, and the last five minutes, only static 
could be heard during the program, which was one of RFE/RL's 
three daily broadcasts in Armenia.  Melkumyan noted that the 
following morning, the beginning of RFE/RL's program when 
members of the governing coalition were interviewed was 
broadcast without disruption.  When the reporter began to 
interview opposition members Paruir Hayrikian of the Self- 
Determination Union and Aram G. Sargsyan of the Democratic 
Party, however, the broadcast became inaudible in Yerevan. 
Melkumyan also said that on the evening of November 28, 
RFE/RL's broadcast was back on the air in Yerevan but could 
not be heard in Vanadzor, Armenia's third-largest city.  He 
mentioned that on the evening of November 29, as an 
opposition rally was underway in Yerevan, RFE/RL's broadcast 
was again inaudible throughout the country.  According to 
Melkumyan, the programs scheduled to be broadcast on these 
three days featured news critical of the results of the 
constitutional referendum, including reports of a sharp 
contrast between official voter turnout and the largely 
empty polling stations in Yerevan and nearby regions. 
 
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PUBLIC RADIO CITES TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES... 
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3. (SBU) On November 27, when RFE/RL first realized that its 
7:00 p.m. broadcast was inaudible, Director Hrach Melkumyan 
called state-run Public Radio.  Alexander Harutiunian, the 
Head of the Public TV and Radio Board, responded that he 
would look into the matter.  Later in the evening, Mr. 
Harutiunian informed RFE/RL that the disruption was due to 
technical problems and denied any political motives.  In a 
statement posted on its website the following morning, 
Public Radio repeated this claim, stating that it recently 
installed a new FM transmitter and that "it could be the 
reason for technical disorders."  The statement says that 
"disturbances occurred also during 'Radiolur' informational- 
analytical program of Public Radio of Armenia."  Public 
Radio told the U.S. Embassy that "Radiolur" experienced 
broadcasting difficulties on November 27 and 29. 
 
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...WHILE RFE/RL CLAIMS POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS 
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4. (SBU) Hrach Melkumyan told the Embassy that he believes 
RFE/RL's disruptions were politically motivated and were 
timed to ensure that broadcasts particularly critical of the 
referendum results could not be heard.  Both Hrach Melkumyan 
and Harry Tamrazian, RFE/RL's Prague-based Armenian Service 
Director, noted that RFE/RL has repeatedly experienced 
problems during national votes.  The two directors also 
stated that Alexander Harutiunian periodically called RFE/RL 
expressing his disapproval of certain broadcasts and 
attempting to influence reports.  Melkumyan noted that 
Harutiunian had stated on several occasions that he 
monitored the content of RFE/RL broadcasts. 
 
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RFE/RL EXPERT BELIEVES TRANSMITTER WAS TURNED OFF 
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5. (SBU) RFE/RL's Armenian Service technical specialist 
Andranik Poghosian stated that he believed Public Radio 
caused the disruption in the broadcasts by turning off its 
transmitter.  Poghosian ruled out the possibility that 
Public Radio broadcast a jamming signal, saying that this 
would be too expensive and too complicated to carry out in 
Armenia.  He also stated that the radio relay system was 
working throughout the three days and thus was not the 
source of the problem.  Poghosian noted that the transmitter 
that Public Radio blamed was installed three months ago and 
that RFE/RL did not experience any transmission difficulties 
during these three months until November 27, the day of 
Armenia's constitutional referendum. 
 
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THE NEXT STEPS 
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6. (SBU) Harry Tamrazian told the Embassy that RFE/RL's 
Prague-based management division would send an official 
letter of complaint to Armenian Public Radio.  The 
Ambassador will support RFE/RL's attempts to ensure the 
uninterrupted broadcast of its programs by emphasizing U.S. 
support for freedom of speech at a lunch on December 6 with 
newspaper editors and television directors, including 
Alexander Harutiunian.  We will also raise the issue of 
RFE/RL's ability to broadcast with appropriate GOAM 
officials. 
 
EVANS