Media.ge, Tbilisi, 24 Dec 2008 – On December 23 the Parliament, through the second hearing, adopted draft amendments to the Code of Conduct of Broadcasters according to which the alienation of the state-owned shares in the broadcasting companies or the liquidation of relevant legal person shall be provided until January 1, 2011.
In the Georgian broadcast space only three companies, set up with the participation of state shares, are remaining, such as the autonomous republic of Adjara TV and Radio Department (which unites Adjara TV and Radio), Zugdidi-based TV company Samegrelo and Akhmeta-based TV-1.
64% of Samegrelo TV belongs to the local agency for property management and the remaining 36% to the private subject InfoInvest. As regards TV-1 the 100% founder is Akhmeta regional Gamgeoba (local authorities).
According to the Law on broadcasting adopted in January 2005, the license owner in the field of broadcasting shall not be “an administrative body, officials or employees of the administrative body, a legal body interdependent with the administrative body, a political party or its officials.
The law entered into force in 2005. According to the law on broadcasting within one year off of the enforcement of this law, the televisions set up with the participation of state bodies were supposed to be privatized, but afterwards the Parliament extended the deadline till January 1, 2009.
Speaking at the December 23 debates held ahead of adopting the draft amendments to the Code of Conduct of Broadcasters, the opposition fiction Christian-Democrats demanded the deadline for the alienation of the state-owned shares to be shifted forward to January 1, 2010 affirming that the elections for local self-government bodies are to be held in Georgia in the autumn 2010.
“By that time no state broadcasters are to be functioning, it is of high importance,” pointed out. Levan Vepkhvadze of Christian-Democrats considers that by January 1, 2010 the way of privatization of Adjara TV and Radio Department is to be set, afterwards there will be more than enough time for the implementation of the draft project.
Vepkhvadze supposes that Adjara TV and Radio Department is to be transformed into the public broadcaster.
Giorgi Targamadze, leader of the Parliamentary minority, formerly chairing the Adjara TV and Radio Department considers that the television of Adjara autonomous republic should not be dependant on Adjara authorities, the public control is to be set.
Parliamentary Chairman David Bakradze being involved in the debates pointed out that two years time is far too long for the liquidation of state share in the broadcasters but it should be taken into account that the transformation of the television of a kind [Adjara TV and Radio] is not an easy task.”
“Everybody remembers very well how long it took to transform Georgian state television and radio into a public broadcaster,” Bakradze stressed.
When discussing the draft the lawmakers failed to consider Zugdidi-based TV company Samegrelo and Akhmeta-based TV-1 issues.
Samegrelo TV has been off the air for two years now. As regards TV-1 the channel essentially re-broadcasts Rustavi 2 programming. At times the company broadcasts TV stories but mainly during the election period. The channel produces no news outlets.
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