The H2 television channel is broadcast by Second Armenian TV Channel LLC, which has two shareholders: Samvel Mayrapetyan holds 50% and Natalya Matinyan holds 50%.
Կապեր
MOM Armenia reports that co-owner Samvel Mayrapetyan is considered a close associate of former President Robert Kocharyan and former Deputy PM Armen Gevorgyan.
Mayrapetyan is known for construction of elite buildings in Yerevan and is considered a close associate of former President Robert Kocharyan and former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan.
ODIHR describes H2 as opposition-affiliated and notes its loss of terrestrial broadcasting in 2021–23.
Media diversity has been further reduced following the loss of terrestrial broadcasting by the opposition-affiliated H2 and Yerkir Media in 2021–23, as well as the recent closure of Shoghakat TV, affiliated with the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Ինչ են ասում անկախ զեկույցները
Media Ownership Monitor Armenia
MOM Armenia states that H2 adopted an opposition editorial stance after the 2018 change of government.
Following the 2018 change of government, H2 adopted an opposition editorial stance.
OSCE/ODIHR
ODIHR found that H2, together with other named outlets, consistently portrayed the government and Civil Contract negatively while giving favourable coverage to selected opposition contestants.
By contrast, Kentron, H2 and Yerkir Media televisions, as well as the news.am and panorama websites consistently portrayed the government and the Civil Contract Party negatively, while providing favourable coverage to selected opposition contestants
ODIHR found that H2 devoted 12-13 per cent of its coverage each to Strong Armenia and Armenia Alliance, mainly positively, and 18 per cent to Civil Contract, predominantly negative in tone.
Kentron devoted 24 per cent of its coverage to Prosperous Armenia, while Yerkir Media devoted 13 per cent to Armenia Alliance, and Panorama 20 per cent to Strong Armenia, mostly in a positive tone. H2 and news.am each devoted between 12 and 13 per cent of their coverage to Strong Armenia and Armenia Alliance each, mainly positively. The Civil Contract Party received 10 per cent of the coverage on Kentron, 13 per cent on Yerkir Media, 18 per cent on H2, 21 per cent on news.am and 24 per cent on Panorama, predominantly negative in tone.
ODIHR reports that the Commission for Television and Radio initiated proceedings against H2 for failing to provide impartial news coverage of parties.