Media Institute Echoes Recent Developments in the Public Broadcaster Adjara TV and Radio

Media Institute echoes the recent developments in the Public Broadcaster Adjara TV and Radio and expresses its concerns that the new director has not been yet elected in the company within five months period. 

After the Council of Advisors dismissed the director through impeachment, the company held three competitions but has not yet selected the director. The Adjara TV and Radio has been working without a director for five months already. As for the fourth competition, it was suspended by the court after one of the candidates Goga Kokhreidze appealed the court. He claims to annul the protocol of the Council of Advisors, based on which the third competition failed; consequently, Goga Kokhreidze must be declared the elected director. 

Chairwoman of the Council of Advisors of the Adjara TV and Radio Nata Imedaishvili thinks that the suspension of the fourth competition and Giorgi Kokhreidze’s dispute in the court is an attempt to artificially prolong the process. 

Media Institute acknowledges the particular role of the Public Broadcaster to provide the society with information that is guaranteed by the national legislation. Namely, the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting states that “public broadcasting - broadcasting carried out by a legal entity under public law established on the basis of state property in accordance with the legislation of Georgia for publicly financed TV and radio broadcasting, independent from the state authority and accountable to the public, which is not subject to any state agency ('the Public Broadcaster') and which is intended .to provide the public with diverse programmes that are free from political and commercial influence and reflect the interests of the public.” 

Media Institute values the importance of the independent and impartial editorial policy that has been the milestone of the Adjara TV. 

Media Institute calls on all interested parties not to hinder the election process of the new director, which shall be conducted in accordance to the law, transparently and impartially. 

Media Institute