1956-1990

On 29 November 1956 Nara Shlepchyan in her lovely voice announced the launch of your and my Public TV - an event that everybody was waiting for, a dream that finally came true. The newly kicked off programs were aired four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, for two hours.

The first TV makers viewed television as a conduit to convey art and cultural values. That was why it started with a host of cultural programs and TV performances, as well as children’s shows. The very first children’s program was the Fairy Tales of Granny Gyulnaz, director Oleg Melik-Vrtanesyan, aired on 17 February 1957. On August 6 the same year News of the Week first release came into being though it was not aired regularly. Armenia TV News show regular transmission started only from February of 1958 and News editorial office was created at the same time. John Kirakosyan and Hakob Hakobyan were among the first political commentators.

Fascinating were preparations of the first New Year program. An area of merely 60 square meters was supposed to hold a Christmas tree alongside with the piano, TV cameras, and the monitor and floodlight projectors - clearly not enough for a festive performance. Never-at-a-loss staff substituted the natural tree with a panel tree, while the cameraman Vahagn Gharibyan and his assistants knocked up the first self-made projectors by putting colorful lamps of sundry wattage into glittering tin cans.

In ten years after its foundation our favorite channel managed to occupy front lines in all-Union rating with around 500 screenings including the movies Sayat Nova and Lipstick No 4.

In 1970-ies Public TV coverage exceeded the boundaries of Yerevan. The first programs outside the capital were aired in Ghapan, Kajaran, Sisian, later on in Ghukasyan and Amasia. People living in these and other regions got the chance to watch both Public TV and Moscow programs.

Turn on Channel 11. In 1973 the 40^th issue of “On Air is Yerevan” weekly under this title heralded the birth of the Second channel of Armenia TV. By 1978 half of the programs of the two channels were in color. Emergence of color TV is closely connected with the name of Hovhannes Adamyan, who discovered the tricolor TV in the world and whose invention was used by the US Columbia Company (Columbia Pictures) in the 1950-ies.

Since the year of 1977 average duration of Armenia TV daily programs reached 12 hours. Back then of around 500.000 TV sets in the country 100.000 were color sets.

In early 70-ies the launch of the Symphony Orchestra of Public TV and Radio under Artistic Director Ohan Duryan complemented Public TV musical shows. Musical Mailbox, first aired on 25 November 1977, assumed the role of the promoter of Armenian folk and popular songs.

In 1983 Armenia TV came up with another surprise – the movie-opera Anush produced by Yerevan studio was aired. Direct broadcasting was resumed in mid 80-ies. The TV viewers Suggest program series featuring people’s opinions on various TV shows appeared. Around this time Lraber news program underwent new qualitative changes - public trust in TV communication was increasing.

The year of 1988 was that of turbulences, national self-determination and reevaluation. Karabagh issue came out. The small screen became even more open after the program of Standpoint of Henrik Borovik depicting Artsakh (historical Karabagh) happenings was shown on Moscow TV. However publicity reached its peak with live transmission of Armenia’s Supreme Council sitting on June 15. During the same period direct broadcasts came from Nagorno Karabagh.

End of 1988 was marked by extreme sadness and despair. From the very first days of December quake TV journalists of the chief editorial office worked in the disaster zone. Lraber’s special releases started and wrapped up with reports from there. Thousands of people were looking for their relatives and friends after the earthquake. Editorial office of Yerevan and Yerevanians jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched a service called Search and a program under the same name which helped a lot of people to find each other.