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“Auditoria,” “Special Reportage” and “European Choice” Were Closed at Public Broadcaster

October 17, 2012

Elene Chumburidze

Society still has not realized what has happened in the Public Broadcaster where some TV-programs were closed and journalists were fired. The dismissed journalists state the arguments of the GPB’s director about their firing are also obscure for them.

Three TV-programs were closed at GPB: Eka Khoperia’s “Auditoria”, Vakho Sanaia’s “Special Reportage” and “European Choice”. Presenter of the news program Moambe Nino Tolordava either was fired or personally quitted the TV-Company too.

The programs were closed after the Parliamentary Elections of October 1. Journalist Vakho Sanaia said he could not hear concrete reasons of closing his programs.

Vakho Sanaia requested to change the format of the program “Special Reportage” into political talk-show. As for project European Choice, it was aired with the initiative and financial support of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation. After the anchor of this program [Sanaia] was fired, the Foundation stopped funding the project.

On October 11, Eurasia Partnership Foundation released statement about this fact: “The Public Broadcaster unilaterally, without consulting the Foundation, decided to make significant changes in the implementation of the TV project that is in violation of the terms of the grant agreement between EPF and the GPB. Termination/change of the host is particularly unjustified with only seven shows left to be broadcast. Given the fact that the GPB made the decision without any prior discussions with EPF, the Foundation has no obligation to continue co-funding the talk-show.”

In its response letter GPB noted: “In accordance to the grant agreement, neither Broadcaster nor the EPF had taken any obligations before Vakho Sanaia that only he would be anchor of the program; so the program does not depend whether Sanaia will present it on GPB or not.

Eka Khoperia’s program Auditoria was closed in similar obscure circumstances on the GPB. Khoperia requested to live-air her program and to have more freedom in choosing topics. In reply to her request, the GPB stopped this project and clarified the decision to Khoperia with problems and ongoing reorganization in the company.

Presenter of the GPB’s news program Moambe Nino Tolordava does not work at the TV-Company either. GPB’s October 9 statement reads that Nino Tolordava quitted job based on her personal decision. “Presenter of the news program Moambe’s Nino Tolordava quitted job in protest. Public Broadcaster would like to underline that Nino Tolordava had been working for the news room for many years according to her own wish and she has never protested anything. Moreover, she could not protest anything because according to the recent conclusions of international monitors OSCE, EU and BBC evaluated the news policy and activities of the GPB as most impartial and balanced. So, we enjoy our right to have our own position with regard to this fact and evaluate it as certain political provocation which journalist tried to use for her personal benefit.”

In Nino Zhizhilashvili’s TV-program Politmetri on Maestro (09/10/12) Nino Tolordava denied information about quitting job based on her own decision. She said she had not quitted job; she just protested the fact that news room was not going to change the editorial policy even after the elections. She added that before she was not brave enough to express protest on it.

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