Tigran Karapetyan, leader of Armenia’s People’s Party whose ALM TV station lost out on a controversial relicensing tender and is now off the air, stated today that he’s currently paying up to $5,000 for an hour of broadcast time on other stations.

When asked by reporters what TV stations in Armenia are asking such rates, Mr. Karapetyan, who is known to have very deep pockets himself, refused to name names.

He only noted that TV stations could demand such rates given that it’s the run-up season to parliamentary elections in Armenia next year.