Armenia

[AM] Broadcaster fined for repeated violation of rules on protection of minors

IRIS 2026-2:1/3

Anna Hovhanisyan

Commission on TV and Radio of Armenia

On 23 January 2026, the Commission on Television and Radio of the Republic of Armenia (CTR) adopted Decision No. 12-A imposing an administrative fine on Armenian Second Television Channel LLC following the identification of a repeated breach of broadcasting rules designed to protect minors.

The case originated from monitoring carried out by the CTR’s Monitoring and Supervision Department on 23 December 2025 in respect of the broadcaster’s programme output of 21 December 2025. The daytime broadcast of the talk show Hayeli Club, which had aired between approximately 2:45 and 3:20 p.m., had included repeated use of obscene and vulgar language.

Under Article 9(3) of the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Audiovisual Media, programmes that may negatively affect the health, mental or physical development, or upbringing of minors may only be broadcast between midnight and 6:00 a.m. CTR Decision No. 73-N of 28 June 2024 further clarifies that audiovisual programmes containing vulgar or profane language fall within the category of content potentially harmful to minors and therefore subject to time-of-day restrictions.

Based on the monitoring results, an administrative procedure was initiated on 24 December 2025. The broadcaster was duly notified and invited to submit explanations, but did not provide comments within the statutory period.

In its assessment, the CTR concluded that the programme had contained vulgar and profane language under the applicable criteria and had therefore breached restrictions intended to safeguard minors. The CTR reiterated that audiovisual media service providers bore editorial responsibility for the content of their programmes and must ensure compliance with statutory safeguards that protect children.

The CTR further noted that the broadcaster had already been sanctioned in December 2025 for a similar infringement. As the present case constituted a repeated violation within one year, Article 57(31) of the Audiovisual Media Law required a penalty amounting to three times the previously imposed fine.

Accordingly, the CTR imposed a fine of AMD 1 200 000 on the broadcaster.

The decision illustrates the Armenian regulator’s continued focus on enforcing legal safeguards protecting minors from potentially harmful audiovisual content, while maintaining broadcasters’ editorial freedom within the limits established by law.