Republic of Armenia

The Republic of Armenia holds stakes in several media companies: Armenia Public Television CJSC, Armenia Public Radio CJSC, Spiritual and Cultural Public Television CJSC, and Armenpress State News Agency CJSC.

Armenia Public Radio and Television were founded during the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, when media was strictly controlled by the state. After Armenia's independence, the radio and television remained state-owned under different organizational structures. The main source of income for these companies is the state budget, with annual funding provided to support operations. The companies are not restricted from obtaining financial resources from other sources and generate additional funding through advertising and service provision.

The Republic of Armenia manages Public Television and Radio through the Public Broadcaster Council (PBC). The Law On Audiovisual Media defines a public broadcaster as a broadcaster owned 100% by the Republic of Armenia. The PBC serves as the authorized body for public broadcasters, approving their statutes, ensuring their management, and supervising their operations. PBC members are appointed competitively by the Prime Minister, and the chairman is elected from among the members by secret ballot.

The chairman of the PBC is Vasak Darbinian, elected to this position on June 2, 2025. He was appointed as a PBC member in October 2021 by the Prime Minister.

Darbinian has worked in the media sector since 1982. His career began at the weekly newspaper Yerevan University, followed by work at periodicals including Hayk, 02, Tert, Aravot, Zhamanak, Taregir, and Ayb-Fe as a journalist and chief editor. He held editorial positions in television: editor of the Public Television program Haylur (1998-1999), author and editor of Day's Press on Armenia TV (1999-2000), and author and editor of A1+ Press on A1+ TV. He worked as a press expert at the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech (2014-2015).

Before his appointment to the Public Broadcaster Council, Darbinian worked as a proofreader at Armenian Time (2016-2021), a media outlet associated with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Both Pashinyan and his wife Anna Hakobyan worked at this outlet, with Hakobyan serving as editor. Currently, 70% of the shares of the company managing Armenian Time belong to Anna Hakobyan's mother.

Shoghakat TV operates under the Spiritual and Cultural Public Television CJSC structure, broadcasting educational, cultural, and spiritual programming. The content aired on Shoghakat is produced by Shoghakat Television LLC, which is owned by the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In October 2025, MPs Taguhi Ghazaryan and Sisak Gabrielyan from the “Civil Contract” faction of the National Assembly proposed amendments to the Law on Audiovisual Media, which, if adopted, would reduce the number of public broadcasters from at least three to at least two. According to the justification, the purpose of the bill is to increase the efficiency of the system. However, as the press notes, given that the proposal is being discussed against the backdrop of strained relations between the government and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the real aim of this change may be to shut down “Shoghakat” TV channel, which was founded by the Mother See.

If the proposed amendments are adopted, the Public Broadcaster’s Council will decide which public broadcaster or program will cease operations.