by David Zenian
Freedom of speech and expression has just gained another powerful voice in Armenia.
It is called HIGH FM 105.5 Stereo, Yerevan's first independent radio station.
The brainchild of four graduates of the American University of Armenia, the birth of the station is one of the clearest signs of the positive changes taking place in post-communist Armenia.
The media, being print or electronic, was once the bastion of the ruling regime. Information was tailored and fed to the people. There was no need for censorship because there was one voice - that of the communists.
Independence put an end to the monopoly. Today, there are four daily newspapers and dozens of weekly and monthly publications which reflect a cross section of political views from the extreme right to the extreme left and various other shades in between.
"The people have the right to know, and freedom of speech and expression are an integral part of this administration's policies," Presidential spokesman Levon Zurabian said recently.
While opposition newspapers and other publications have been around since the collapse of communism, the electronic media had stayed under government control until HIGH FM hit the airwaves on September 19, 1994.
"The communists understood the power of radio, and they made very good use of it. Every room in every government office had a radio set - but one which was tuned to a single station, the government station.
"These single station radio receivers are out now. People are free to chose what they want to listen, and that's how we got started with this project," said Anahid Tarkhanian, one of the co-owners of HIGH FM.
Plans for the radio began as a business administration assignment by four AUA graduate students, and involved extensive marketing research to identify the potential audience, to determine programming features, the tastes of the audience and possible competition to the venture.
More than 1,200 questionnaires were distributed in the Yerevan area alone as part of a feasibility study. The data was processed and the results were used to design a program scheme, identify the best hours for broadcasting and the resources needed to launch the project.
"The deeper we went with the research, the more we got convinced that there was room in Yerevan - and Armenia as a whole - for an independent and privately-owned radio station," Tarkhanian said.
Set up as a business entity, the founding members turned to outside sources for the essential start-up funds.
"We have to thank the Soros Foundation, the Thompson Foundation, the United States Information Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Peace Corps for getting us off the ground," Ms. Tarkhanian said.
Today, HIGH FM has its own broadcasting studio, transmitter and the basic facilities to stay on the air with a lively mix of musical, cultural, educational and news programs.
But despite its initial success, the station's owners are aware of the difficulties that lie ahead. There is the question of survival.
"It will take a year for this station to get really going. The more hours we stay on the air the better chances for us to attract advertisers. After all, this is a commercial venture and we have to make money to stay in business," Ms. Tarkhanian said.
To build its audience base, the station is constantly revising its programming while "keeping our ears glued" to audience reaction.
"At the moment we have a mix of pop music, some advertising, a brief financial segment which involves currency rates, weather and some local cultural news and announcements.
"We will soon add special reports on Armenian communities in the diaspora and for that we will use the AGBU quarterly as our primary source. At some point we also want to add French and English language instructions by radio," she said.
Ms. Tarkhanian is optimistic.
"The better we get, the more advertising we will attract and with more money we will add our broadcasting hours ... and the cycle will continue," she said.
