12.10.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. The President of “21st Century” association Arkadiy Vardanian stated today that the staff of the Russian language “Novoye Vremia” daily decided to stop publishing the daily under the pressure of the Armenian authorities.
Vardanian said that the members of the editorial board of the daily stated that “they do not want to appear as an ideological fighters and do not share the methods of political struggle used by the owner of the daily.” If not the pressure exerted on the editorial staff by the authorities “the staff would not give up our joint activity half-way,” Vardanian said.
On October 11 a source from daily informed MEDIAMAX that the reason is in discord between the staff of the daily and its owner – the President of “21st Century” association Arkadiy Vardanian. During the recent months Vardanian had rather radical attitude towards the country’s authorities and was used to announce about the possible forced change of power in Armenia by late October of 2000. The source also informed that the staff of the daily, which is published from 1993, refused to support any longer Vardanian’s such position. It is expected that two more issues of the daily will be published.
Yet two weeks before Mr. Vardanian spoke about his plans on formation of a media holding in Armenia. However, it is clear today that such a stature may not be established. In early June Vardanian has suppressed “Noratert” daily, which also belonged to him. He grounded his decision while saying that the daily has failed to justify the funds invested to the daily. Vardanian has intentions to open his own TV channel Nazareth this year, which according to the source will not be implemented as well. Thus, while closing “Novoye Vremia” Vardanian will be owner of radio 107 FM only.
In 1998 Arkadiy Vardanian came to Armenia from Moscow, where he headed a number of commercial structures as well as the Center for Armenian-Russian initiatives. Regardless the statement made by Vardanian in 1998 that the 21st Century association had no political goals, some experts supposed that his powerful financial influence on the Armenian mass media was aimed at preparing bases for Vardanian’s political debut. –0–
ԻմPANը
