Francis Kurkdjian, Liberty, London
"Family rules"... Of course, Kardashian :)
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Losers! Armenia TV censors president-related joke at Tashir 2011 pop music ceremony from Moscow
This was such a blatant censorship by Armenia TV that even Soviet-style apparatchiks would feel uncomfortable about. At least Soviet era communists were employing more sophisticated methods. They interrupted live coverage of humorist Garik Martirosyan's joke re Armenia president Serj Sargsyan during Tashir 2011 Armenian pop music ceremony from Moscow, by replacing it with the sketch of own production.
Immediately, @ArmComedy and myself @unzippedblog started commenting on Twitter and using hashtag #fail in relation to Armenia TV.
Around 30 mins later, they realised what a ridiculous thing they have done, and Garik went to the stage and repeated his joke. I am so not buying that Garik's joke was censored due to "technical glitch", as was announced during the ceremony. It was because Armenia TV got scared, and decided not to 'risk', just in case. At the end, as expected, the joke was anything but 'dangerous' for Armenian president.
Armenia TV made a laughing stock out of itself. There is one word for such people. Losers!
P.S. I am not going to comment here about the ceremony itself. Suffice to say, if not for Lara Fabian, I should have demanded an apartment in Yerevan as a compensation for wasted hours and serious attack of tastelessness.
Immediately, @ArmComedy and myself @unzippedblog started commenting on Twitter and using hashtag #fail in relation to Armenia TV.
Around 30 mins later, they realised what a ridiculous thing they have done, and Garik went to the stage and repeated his joke. I am so not buying that Garik's joke was censored due to "technical glitch", as was announced during the ceremony. It was because Armenia TV got scared, and decided not to 'risk', just in case. At the end, as expected, the joke was anything but 'dangerous' for Armenian president.
Armenia TV made a laughing stock out of itself. There is one word for such people. Losers!
P.S. I am not going to comment here about the ceremony itself. Suffice to say, if not for Lara Fabian, I should have demanded an apartment in Yerevan as a compensation for wasted hours and serious attack of tastelessness.
Saturday, 19 February 2011
Vahram Petrosyan: witch-hunt
I did not even know this guy - Vahram Petrosyan - before this whole ‘story’ erupted (e.g.), and am not fan of his music (or any ‘klkloc’-like music), to say the least. But I cannot stand this witch-hunt, a targeted campaign by some media outlets (e.g. Shant TV) and others (using as a basis an edited script), and attempts at labeling people as and hunting for ‘enemy of nation’. If you do not agree with someone, just say it, without resorting to hate. Where this recent resurgence of ‘bloodthirstiness’ came from?
(here is one of the relatively recent examples I reflected on this blog too)
For this reason, I am posting this video and clarifications by Vahram Petrosyan (AM): “Վահրամ Պետրոսյանի ասուլիսը առանց մոնտաժի”
The funny thing is this guy is not even a rebel or indie or alternative, he is part of the mainstream Armenian pop scene (!).
(here is one of the relatively recent examples I reflected on this blog too)
For this reason, I am posting this video and clarifications by Vahram Petrosyan (AM): “Վահրամ Պետրոսյանի ասուլիսը առանց մոնտաժի”
The funny thing is this guy is not even a rebel or indie or alternative, he is part of the mainstream Armenian pop scene (!).
Sunday, 26 September 2010
TV in Turkey breaches ethical norms in depicting Armenia athlete’s sufferings from injury during World Weightlifting Championship
When I first watched Turkish TV report on world weightlifting championship where Armenian weightlifter Ara Khachatryan got seriously injured, I was horrified with the camera focus showing sufferings of the athlete. It was as if this was done deliberately to show his pain in all its graphical details. This is unacceptable under any circumstances. Considering Armenia-Turkey relations, such incidents have even higher levels of sensitivity.
News.am rightly argues that this was a breach of ethical norms and compares the way Turkish TV depicted the incident with the similar one by Chinese TV during Beijing Olympics.
News.am rightly argues that this was a breach of ethical norms and compares the way Turkish TV depicted the incident with the similar one by Chinese TV during Beijing Olympics.
Armenian weightlifter Ara Khachatryan (85 kg) was seriously injured in his elbow during the 2010 World Weightlifting Championship in Antalya, Turkey. However, the TRT (Turkish state television) grossly violated the code of professional ethics by showing close-up picture of the Armenian athlete, who was crying with pain.
Generally, in such cases TV rules stipulate shifting to long shot. Besides, the organizers did not provide shields that are usually used in such situations. World remembers the incident that occurred with Hungarian athlete during the Beijing Olympics when Janos Baranyai (77 kg) got similar injury. Let’s compare the Turkish and Chinese broadcasting of two incidents.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Human Rights Watch urges Armenia president Sargsyan to veto TV law amendments
In a letter to Armenian president, executive director of Human Rights Watch (Europe and Central Asia Division) Holly Cartner expressed HRW's concern re recent amendments to the "Law on Radio and TV" and urges Serj Sargsyan "to refrain from signing the law" "with the aim of bringing any and all amendments into compliance with Armenia’s international obligations on freedom of expression."
Below are selected excerpts from the letter along with the copy of it.
"Human Rights Watch is writing to express its concern regarding the negative impact on media pluralism and public access to diversity of information and opinion in Armenia, recent amendments to the “Law on Television and Radio,” are likely to have. We urge you to refrain from signing the law and instead return it to the National Assembly and urge them to continue their deliberations with the aim of bringing any and all amendments into compliance with Armenia’s international obligations on freedom of expression. [...]
We are first concerned that the amendments to the law will reduce the number of television stations able to broadcast in Armenia from 22 to 18. The changes in the legislation could have created room for more actors to participate in provision of media facilitated by digitalization, yet reducing the number of television broadcasters poses the opposite risk of limiting media pluralism. There is a serious concern that the reduction in available television stations may particularly disadvantage new television broadcasters, especially as the amendments indicate that preference in future licensing competitions should be given to existing broadcasters or those with at least three years’ experience.
Armenia’s civil society members and international partners have also criticized numerous other aspects of the amendments, including the failure to require the National Television and Radio Commission (NTRC) to provide explanations for its decisions to reject broadcasting license applications, which would increase transparency of the licensing process. The amendments also do not address long-standing concerns that the law does not ensure pluralism in the selection and appointment of members of the National Television and Radio Commission (NTRC), which is responsible for the granting of licenses. [...]
The draft Law on Television and Radio was developed by the Armenian Ministry of Economy and adopted by the National Assembly in the first reading on May 20th.
Armenia was obliged to amend the law on Television and Radio following a June 2008 European Court of Human Rights judgment finding Armenia in violation of Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) as a result of the NTRC’s repeated denials of a broadcast license to A1+, an independent television station. The court found that the Armenian legislature did not provide sufficient protection against an arbitrary decision of the licensing authorities. A1+ was taken off the air in April 2002 and has not been able to resume broadcasting despite the ECtHR judgment.
In the interest of ensuring Armenia’s full compliance with the ECtHR judgment and protecting media pluralism, we urge you to use your discretionary power and veto the amendments to the Law On Television and Radio. We strongly hope that the National Assembly will heed the concerns of Armenia’s civil society, the OSCE, and others and make the necessary changes to bring the legislation fully into line with Armenia’s international obligations."
Related: OSCE Slams Armenian TV Law
Below are selected excerpts from the letter along with the copy of it.
"Human Rights Watch is writing to express its concern regarding the negative impact on media pluralism and public access to diversity of information and opinion in Armenia, recent amendments to the “Law on Television and Radio,” are likely to have. We urge you to refrain from signing the law and instead return it to the National Assembly and urge them to continue their deliberations with the aim of bringing any and all amendments into compliance with Armenia’s international obligations on freedom of expression. [...]
We are first concerned that the amendments to the law will reduce the number of television stations able to broadcast in Armenia from 22 to 18. The changes in the legislation could have created room for more actors to participate in provision of media facilitated by digitalization, yet reducing the number of television broadcasters poses the opposite risk of limiting media pluralism. There is a serious concern that the reduction in available television stations may particularly disadvantage new television broadcasters, especially as the amendments indicate that preference in future licensing competitions should be given to existing broadcasters or those with at least three years’ experience.
Armenia’s civil society members and international partners have also criticized numerous other aspects of the amendments, including the failure to require the National Television and Radio Commission (NTRC) to provide explanations for its decisions to reject broadcasting license applications, which would increase transparency of the licensing process. The amendments also do not address long-standing concerns that the law does not ensure pluralism in the selection and appointment of members of the National Television and Radio Commission (NTRC), which is responsible for the granting of licenses. [...]
The draft Law on Television and Radio was developed by the Armenian Ministry of Economy and adopted by the National Assembly in the first reading on May 20th.
Armenia was obliged to amend the law on Television and Radio following a June 2008 European Court of Human Rights judgment finding Armenia in violation of Article 10 (Freedom of Expression) as a result of the NTRC’s repeated denials of a broadcast license to A1+, an independent television station. The court found that the Armenian legislature did not provide sufficient protection against an arbitrary decision of the licensing authorities. A1+ was taken off the air in April 2002 and has not been able to resume broadcasting despite the ECtHR judgment.
In the interest of ensuring Armenia’s full compliance with the ECtHR judgment and protecting media pluralism, we urge you to use your discretionary power and veto the amendments to the Law On Television and Radio. We strongly hope that the National Assembly will heed the concerns of Armenia’s civil society, the OSCE, and others and make the necessary changes to bring the legislation fully into line with Armenia’s international obligations."
Related: OSCE Slams Armenian TV Law
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Ali Bastian: “the epitome of an English rose” of Armenian and Russian descent
Originally hailing from Windsor, Ali is the epitome of an English rose. She made her first forays into TV with quintessentially English dramas such as Jane Eyre (when she was 10 years old) and A Touch Of Frost.She did not manage to pass through to the final for Strictly Come Dancing 2009 competition. She was dancing in pair with Brian Fortuna, a professional ballroom dancer and choreographer from the US. Apparently, they are an item too.
Ali is best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2001 to 2007. Becca's most controversial storyline in Hollyoaks saw her fired from her teaching job and sent to prison after having an affair with one of her students.
[...] But just a week after they were controversially voted off Strictly Come Dancing during the semi-final, Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna have finally confirmed they're an item.But yesterday... she won the ultimate festive Christmas edition of the programme with all judges awarding the highest 10 score + being voted the highest by the audience.
After leaving the BBC show where they met, the couple journeyed to Paris for a romantic city break in the snow.
In an interview with the new issue of Hello! magazine, the couple said they are finally ready to go public with their romance.
In fact, they're getting so serious about each other Brian, 27, has bought Ali, 26, flight tickets to join him at his parents' home in New Jersey for Christmas. [...]
Before finding love with Brian, Ali dated London Irish rugby player Nick Kennedy and her Hollyoaks co-star Kevin Sacre.
Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna dance the Viennese Waltz to Please Come Home For Christmas.
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2009 Champions are crowned.
*picture - via Ali Bastian fan site
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Hate: Armenian tabloid Iravunk advocates killing of gays
When someone is homophobe, it’s bad enough. But when that homophobe advocates killing, he is crossing the line.
I have to confess, I do not read Iravunk tabloid. If it’s not for my friends, I would have been unaware of this whole bunch of ‘articles’ over the last week or so devoted to gays there.
Internet is becoming more and more popular among Armenians, especially younger generation, and Iravunk cannot stand losing the Internet ‘battle’ to others, including gay Armenians, who dare to open up their websites and freely discuss the issues and their life. But they are not alone. Iravunk’s heart is bleeding that there are others out there who support gay rights and equality, or anything related to gays. Even the most widely accessible media in Armenia - television, occasionally shows gay-themed films. Horror. One of Iravunk’s so called journalists is shocked by a gay themed film shown on TV recently, calling it a “propaganda of homosexuality”. He then finishes his piece telling a ‘real story’ from Holland.
Iravunk’s journalist then notes that “we do not want you to take this story as a call for killing. We simply wanted to present this story”. Obviously, what they effectively did is to advocate killing of gays.
Of course, Armenian Ombudsman will repeat that there is no problem of homophobia in Armenia as no one filed a complaint about it to his office. He may not even see or ‘be aware’ of the growing number of recent attacks towards gays in Yerevan. How convenient.
In another piece, editor Galadjyan is outraged, digusted and simply cannot understand why journalist and writer Vahan Ishkhanyan has so inclined to “defend rights of sects and faggots”: “he is perhaps the only one who openly defends the rights of such a human garbage as ‘blues’ [gays] in Armenia”. But what is killing Mr Galadjyan is that Vahan established Ankakh weekly which quickly became a popular newspaper both online and in print. And the last drop to Iravunk’s nerves was a literary prize awarded to a gay-themed short story for the first time in Armenia by the same Ankakh weekly. The author of the novel is our very own Armenian Dori An (I will write a separate post on Dori An and his award-winning short story). Iravunk’s editor is apparently so threatened by a mere existence of a free-minded writer and his growing online presence and influence that he attempted at (unsuccessfully) cracking down the identity of a person writing under the Dori An nickname. Sad. Little, sad people. He accuses Dori An not only in “disgusting” activities and the use of ‘inappropriate language’, but “anti-national” too (familiar language, eh?). There is “enough evidence” for criminal persecution of Dori An, claims tabloid’s chief. Huh? Yes, there is definitely enough evidence for opening the case against Galadjyan and his tabloid for inciting murder and hatred.
As a rule, one hate goes hand in hand with another hate. If you look at Iravunk’s articles, they are not just homophobic, but racist, full of hate to everyone who is different. If you are not gay, you would have still be hated by Galadjyan-like people. For ‘different’ ethnicity, colour of your eyes (skin), music you listen to, films you watch, T-shirt you wear. Anything, really, which is outside of their sad, little and narrow-minded world.
In yet another piece, Galadjyan calls Armenian MP from parliamentary opposition Heritage party Zaruhi Postanjyan a “traitor” (for this). He cannot stand ‘European aspirations’ of growing number of Armenians, which he associates with gay rights and equality. Scary. According to the ‘rules’ of the ‘family’, Galadjyan writes referring to Europe, “homosexuals are also people” (!), then calling gays a “human garbage”. Чья бы мычала?
Եթե դու սիրում ես, երբ դիմացինիդ անտեղի անարգում են, երբ մարդու մասին դատում են միայն նրանով, թե ում հետ է նա քնում, երբ ցուցաբերվում է խտրականություն ցանկացած փոքրամասնույթունների հանդեպ ու քարկոծվում են նրանց պաշտպանողները՝ ապա ՄԻ անցիր այս հղմամբ ու մի ճանաչիր մարդուն, ով անում է դա...
Իսկ եթե դու Լույսի Ասպետ ես, օգնիր... ՄԻ ԼՌԻՐ... ԼՌՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ ՈՍԿԻ ՉԷ... Ասա քո խոսքը..
http://www.dorian.ucoz.ru/blog/2009-08-17-96
Apart from anything else, there is also big envy at play from Iravunk editor Galadjyan’s side. He knows very well that Dori An, Vahan Ishkhanyan or gay Armenian bloggers have more readers (with growing online presence) than his own 20 years old business enterprise which has left with the one main aim for now - to spread hate.
You and your tabloid suck, Mr. Galadjyan. Big time.
*For comments - Unzipped: Gay Armenia
I have to confess, I do not read Iravunk tabloid. If it’s not for my friends, I would have been unaware of this whole bunch of ‘articles’ over the last week or so devoted to gays there.
Internet is becoming more and more popular among Armenians, especially younger generation, and Iravunk cannot stand losing the Internet ‘battle’ to others, including gay Armenians, who dare to open up their websites and freely discuss the issues and their life. But they are not alone. Iravunk’s heart is bleeding that there are others out there who support gay rights and equality, or anything related to gays. Even the most widely accessible media in Armenia - television, occasionally shows gay-themed films. Horror. One of Iravunk’s so called journalists is shocked by a gay themed film shown on TV recently, calling it a “propaganda of homosexuality”. He then finishes his piece telling a ‘real story’ from Holland.
Բայց վերադառնանք սեռական փոքրամասնությունների թեմային: Վերջերս օրը ցերեկով մի հեռուստաընկերության եթերում գեղարվեստական կինոնկար էր ցուցադրվում, որի հերոսները գովերգում էին իրենց ոչ ավանդական կողմնորոշումը... Որքան էլ այդ անբարոյականության վերաբերյալ հումորը տեղին չէ, բայց այսպես շարունակվելու դեպքում երեւի խնդրելու ենք, որ էրոտիկ, թեկուզ հենց, այսպես ասենք, ավանդական սեքսի վերաբերյալ կինոնկարներ ցուցադրեն, միայն թե վերջ տան այդ այլանդակությունների քարոզին: Այս ամենը ինձ հիշեցրեց մի իրական պատմություն, որը տեղի է ունեցել ոչ ավանդական կողմնորոշման նկատմամբ արդեն վաղուց սովորական վերաբերմունք ձեւավորված երկրում: Իհարկե կռահեցիք, որ նկատի ունենք Հոլանդիան: Տարիներ առաջ հոլանդական քաղաքներից մեկի քաղաքապետի թեկնածուն հեռուստաէկրանից բացահայտ հայտարարել էր, որ ինքը ՙերկնագույն՚ է եւ պաշտպանելու է նրանց շահերը: Երբ ՙերկնագույն՚ թեկնածուն դուրս էր եկել ստուդիայից, նրան տեղում գնդակահարել էին: Մարդասպանը, որը հանձնվել էր ոստիկաններին, նշել էր, որ ինքը չի ցանկանում ՙերկնագույն՚ քաղաքապետ ունենալ, ով նաեւ քարոզում է իր զզվելի կողմնորոշումը: Չենք ուզում, որ մեր ասածը որպես սպանության կոչ ընդունվի, այլ պարզապես ներկայացրեցինք դեպքը:[Translation of the main part: Years ago, a mayoral candidate of a city in Holland has openly said via TV that he is “blue” [gay] and will be defending their [gay] rights. When he walked out of the studio, he got shot dead. The killer said that he did not like the prospect of having a gay mayor, who publicize his disgusting orientation.]
Iravunk’s journalist then notes that “we do not want you to take this story as a call for killing. We simply wanted to present this story”. Obviously, what they effectively did is to advocate killing of gays.
Of course, Armenian Ombudsman will repeat that there is no problem of homophobia in Armenia as no one filed a complaint about it to his office. He may not even see or ‘be aware’ of the growing number of recent attacks towards gays in Yerevan. How convenient.
In another piece, editor Galadjyan is outraged, digusted and simply cannot understand why journalist and writer Vahan Ishkhanyan has so inclined to “defend rights of sects and faggots”: “he is perhaps the only one who openly defends the rights of such a human garbage as ‘blues’ [gays] in Armenia”. But what is killing Mr Galadjyan is that Vahan established Ankakh weekly which quickly became a popular newspaper both online and in print. And the last drop to Iravunk’s nerves was a literary prize awarded to a gay-themed short story for the first time in Armenia by the same Ankakh weekly. The author of the novel is our very own Armenian Dori An (I will write a separate post on Dori An and his award-winning short story). Iravunk’s editor is apparently so threatened by a mere existence of a free-minded writer and his growing online presence and influence that he attempted at (unsuccessfully) cracking down the identity of a person writing under the Dori An nickname. Sad. Little, sad people. He accuses Dori An not only in “disgusting” activities and the use of ‘inappropriate language’, but “anti-national” too (familiar language, eh?). There is “enough evidence” for criminal persecution of Dori An, claims tabloid’s chief. Huh? Yes, there is definitely enough evidence for opening the case against Galadjyan and his tabloid for inciting murder and hatred.
As a rule, one hate goes hand in hand with another hate. If you look at Iravunk’s articles, they are not just homophobic, but racist, full of hate to everyone who is different. If you are not gay, you would have still be hated by Galadjyan-like people. For ‘different’ ethnicity, colour of your eyes (skin), music you listen to, films you watch, T-shirt you wear. Anything, really, which is outside of their sad, little and narrow-minded world.
In yet another piece, Galadjyan calls Armenian MP from parliamentary opposition Heritage party Zaruhi Postanjyan a “traitor” (for this). He cannot stand ‘European aspirations’ of growing number of Armenians, which he associates with gay rights and equality. Scary. According to the ‘rules’ of the ‘family’, Galadjyan writes referring to Europe, “homosexuals are also people” (!), then calling gays a “human garbage”. Чья бы мычала?
Այդ ՙընտանիքի՚ ՙկանոններով՚ հոմոսեքսուալիստներն էլ են մարդ, ավելին` այդ ՙկանոնները՚ նախատեսում են մարդկային այդ թափոնը գլխին դրած ման ածել: Հետաքրքիր է, համաձա±յն է պարոն Ժիրայր Սէֆիլյանը ՙերկնագույնների՚ թանին թթու չասելուն, միայն թե ՙաշխարհը՚ մեր երեսին չշպրտի` հոմոֆոբներ......and here is something from Dori An in response: Լռությունը ոսկի ՉԷ
Իրոք որ երբեմն լռությունը ոսկի է...
Եթե դու սիրում ես, երբ դիմացինիդ անտեղի անարգում են, երբ մարդու մասին դատում են միայն նրանով, թե ում հետ է նա քնում, երբ ցուցաբերվում է խտրականություն ցանկացած փոքրամասնույթունների հանդեպ ու քարկոծվում են նրանց պաշտպանողները՝ ապա ՄԻ անցիր այս հղմամբ ու մի ճանաչիր մարդուն, ով անում է դա...
Իսկ եթե դու Լույսի Ասպետ ես, օգնիր... ՄԻ ԼՌԻՐ... ԼՌՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ ՈՍԿԻ ՉԷ... Ասա քո խոսքը..
http://www.dorian.ucoz.ru/blog/2009-08-17-96
Apart from anything else, there is also big envy at play from Iravunk editor Galadjyan’s side. He knows very well that Dori An, Vahan Ishkhanyan or gay Armenian bloggers have more readers (with growing online presence) than his own 20 years old business enterprise which has left with the one main aim for now - to spread hate.
You and your tabloid suck, Mr. Galadjyan. Big time.
*For comments - Unzipped: Gay Armenia
Monday, 25 May 2009
Film depicting garbage coming out of (Armenian) TV screen - winner of One Minute One Shot film festival in Yerevan
"Television" by Arevik Avanesyan (2009) was named as a winner of One Minute One Shot film festival in Yerevan. The film depicts garbage literally coming out of (Armenian) TV screen.
*For more details of the festival and award winning films at One Minute One Shot - see Hetq Online (in Armenian).
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