Artsakh TV will operate as long as it can - Tsovinar Barkhudaryan

ArmInfo.We will work as long as we can, hoping for good news, and if possible, we will definitely  increase the number of programs. Artsakh TV announcer and journalist Tsovinar Barkhudaryan shared this in an interview with ArmInfo. 

As Barkhudaryan said, a few days before the forced deportation from  Artsakh, namely on September 25, 2023, the Azerbaijanis posted the  following text on the ArtsakhTV website and social networks: "Those  who covered the terrorist regime will be severely punished..."

"The Artsakh Public Television had to destroy its "golden" archive  with a 35-year history. However, some materials were saved thanks to  people dedicated to this cause: whoever could, saved on various  media," the journalist said. 

As Tsovinar noted, after the forced deportation, there was no  corresponding link uniting the Artsakh people. The journalist  explained that all state institutions of Artsakh actually ceased  their work. Most of them are no longer functioning today, and those  that continue to work are largely symbolic in nature and do not  currently carry out practical work. "We had a need to work directly  with the people of Artsakh. 

Therefore, a group of employees, including directors and cameramen  who had their own personal equipment, which they managed to save and  take out, decided to create a public organization "10th Province" to  implement the ArtsakhTV program. We met with the President of Artsakh  Samvel Shahramanyan, received his support and permission to become  the successor to the Public Television of Artsakh, as well as to use  YouTube and other social platforms to implement our ideas. Thus, on  July 1, 2024, ArtsakhTV already went "on the air" with a staff of  about 10 employees," she said.

According to the journalist, despite the fact that their colleagues  in Armenia tried to cover the problems of the Artsakh people, it was  not enough, since they lacked a deep understanding of some nuances.  For example, knowledge of the Artsakh dialect, historical facts or  the peculiarities of local life. 

"No matter how much our colleagues in Armenia tried to cover the  problems faced by the internally displaced persons from Artsakh in  different ways, the gap still remained. Already in Yerevan, a group  of employees of the Artsakh TV and Radio Broadcasting managed to get  jobs in various Armenian media, including me as a commentator for the  "Haylur" news program on Channel 5. But over time, the need to  restore the work of ArtsakhTV became more obvious," said Tsovinar,  noting that their office with a small pavilion is currently located  in the permanent representation of the Republic of Artsakh in  Armenia, since it was not possible to afford to rent premises  elsewhere.

As the journalist noted, the goal of this initiative is not only to  preserve the Artsakh dialect, Artsakh cuisine with its diversity and  the historical and cultural heritage left in Artsakh. The small  ArtsakhTV team also strives to unite compatriots living outside of  Artsakh, even in the virtual space, creating a platform for future  political demands, preserving the idea of "return" and countering the  spread of false anti-Artsakh theses. 

"For a month now, you can follow four weekly programs on ArtsakhTV  channels on YouTube, Facebook and Telegram," added Tsovinar  Barkhudaryan. The journalist also reported that the Armenian media,  although not all, also expressed their willingness to help. "They  provided work for a number of specialists of the Artsakh Public  Television and Radio Company, which was also a great support for us,"  Tsovinar answered, while explaining that the Armenian government, in  turn, did not promise any assistance.  Tsovinar also emphasized that  ArtsakhTV is not a mouthpiece for any political force and cannot  serve any interests.

Touching upon further plans, the journalist said that at the moment  they plan to support their initiative for six months. In the future,  everything depends on financial capabilities, since the  implementation of this idea was initially carried out with the  support of individuals, mainly from Artsakh. "In the near future, we  will organize a fundraiser on the "reArmenia" platform. We hope to  raise enough funds to save the project and give it a new life," the  journalist shared.

Barkhudaryan emphasized that the ArtsakhTV team strives to create  materials taking into account the level of awareness of the local  audience. As the journalist noted, daily contacts show that,  unfortunately, many are not familiar enough with the recent past of  Artsakh and Artsakh Armenians.

"We see that our releases are of great interest. Residents of Artsakh  are very happy about this, this is evident from the comments and  daily personal contacts," Barkhudaryan summarized.   https://www.youtube.com/@ArtsakhPublicTV