With most media outlets in Armenia under tight state control, EED funding to Gyumri-based independent TV station ‘Gala’ has been a lifesaver. Through its news and debate programmes, Gala offers a platform for exchanging different views and helps citizens stay better informed.
For Gala’s founder, Vahan Khachatryan, running a TV station is a far cry from his days as a successful businessman selling household care products. After a number of years abroad, he returned to his home city Gyumri – Armenia’s second largest – in the late nineties. Gyumri had borne much of the damage of the massive earthquake which ripped through the region in 1988.
“When I came back, I saw that there were still huge issues after the quake – a stagnant economy, high unemployment and years of failed promises from the government. The city has lost nearly half of its population since 1988. Many left still live in shanty housing.
“I felt that media would be a way for people to raise concerns and put pressure on the government. That’s why I decided to found an independent alternative to the state mouthpieces. Gala means ‘Gyumri Independent News Agency’,” explains Khachatryan.
Under pressure
It has not been an easy journey. Most of the dominant broadcast media are controlled by the government or by government-friendly individuals. Gala has found itself under pressure since it aired speeches by an opposition presidential candidate during the 2008 election campaign.
“At that time we had many advertising partners. But when we offered airtime to the opposition, we received very clear instructions from the authorities that we shouldn’t do this.”
That was just the start of a wave of intimidation. Khachatryan was physically threatened by the law enforcement bodies. Investigations by the tax authorities resulted in claims amounting to 100,000 USD in unpaid taxes.
“Of course we couldn’t have raised or hidden that much tax in our short lifespan. The aim was just to close us down,” says Khachatryan.
In June 2011, the Court of Cassation upheld a lower court’s decision ordering Gala to stop using the Gyumri television tower and to dismantle its transmitter. The station had to relocate its transmitter to another site.
“It’s simple. They wanted first to get us off air, and then make us bankrupt.”
Gala found themselves dealing with two court cases and their bank accounts frozen. Many would have given up. But for Khachatryan this was a moral mission and he called for support from public.
“People started organising and collecting money. In total, 10,000 people raised funds to pay the fine and that is how we were able to keep broadcasting.”
As Gala Executive Director and Chief Editor, Karine Harutyunyan, explains:
“This company has always been a place where people come to share concerns. We have built trust and it was not coincidental that people contributed to the fundraising.”
The Gala team that Harutyunyan heads up embodies that spirit. The staff are young and motivated by ideals.
“It’s more than a media outlet. Our journalists get involved in people’s issues and fight for them. We use our position to expose corruption that’s so commonplace. During the 2015 referendum, we received over 200 phone calls from people reporting on election violations.
“When people’s pensions aren’t being paid or if their water supply has been cut off, they call Gala and know that things will get done.” she says.
EED support “vital”
Since July 2016, GALA has received funding from EED to help sustain operations. In a fragile economic climate where many independent channels have had their licences revoked and advertisers pressurised by the government to withdraw deals, this has proved vital.
“It is really difficult to stay afloat and uphold certain principles,” Khachatryan says. “When TV companies are deprived of advertising revenue, the only solution is foreign donors. That’s why EED’s support is so critical to promoting democracy here. Without it, independent media wouldn’t stand a chance.”
GALA now airs a weekly topical debate show featuring politicians and other public figures, and broadcasts news bulletins 13 times a day. This was very timely for the local elections held in October. Funding will continue during the 2017 Parliamentary Elections – the first under the new Electoral Code.
Although a regional broadcaster, Gala coverage extends across the country and leads the way in breaking politically sensitive news. Audiences spiked during the July political crisis when a group of armed men seized control of a police station in the capital Yerevan. The standoff ended two weeks later amid a crackdown by the police on several hundred demonstrators who had sided with the gunmen.
Gala currently reaches 220,000 viewers and attracts increasing numbers of internet viewers. Its social media channels also provide an important forum for debate. Followers have increased from 87,000 to well over 100,000 since the project started.
It is still a struggle. During the local elections all party representatives participated in the debates except the incumbent. But Khachatryan remains defiant. His message to the authorities is “they will not win”.
“People appreciate what we do. They like and need to hear different ideas and analysis. And we have absolutely no intention of giving up.”
https://www.democracyendowment.eu/news/gala-tv-withstands-pressure-to-blaze-a-trail-for-media-independence/
Image – Gala Executive Director Karine Harutyunyan (left) and Founder/Owner Vahan Khachatryan. Photo credit: EED
