Regulator says Imedi TV refusal to air opposition European Georgia election ad was groundless
Imedi TV had stated earlier that it refuses to broadcast pre-election political advertisements because of hate speech regardless of political party affiliation. Photo: Imedinews.ge
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Communications Commission (ComCom), a regulatory body responsible for broadcasting and electronic communication, has satisfied the complaint of the opposition European Georgia party against Imedi TV.
Georgian TV channel Imedi refused to air a political advertisement of the opposition party in the run up to the October 2 elections due to alleged ‘hate speech content.’
The ad accuses government officials of corruption and calls on the public to notify the party for assistance if they know of corrupt dealings.
ComCom has however studied the content of the ad based on the standards of the supreme court and defined that it does not contradict with the general norms and principles of the constitution.
The number of internet subscribers has increased to almost one million in Georgia in 2020, announces the Communication Commission of Georgia.
Local TV channel Imedi has responded to former Georgian PM and Tbilisi mayor candidate Giorgi Gakharia’s accusations that the channel has political bias and has thus refused to air him live in the run up to the October 2 municipal elections. Imedi pointed out an alleged connection between the current opposition United National Movement (UNM) party which governed the country from 2004 to 2012 and Giorgi Gakharia who left the post of PM on February 18, 2021 due to a disagreement with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and launched the For Georgia political party in late May.
Former Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia, who is running for Tbilisi mayor in the upcoming October 2 self-government elections, has accused local TV channel Imedi of political bias and demands to be aired live. Giorgi Gakharia resigned from the post of PM on February 18, 2021 due to a disagreement with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and soon after in late May launched the For Georgia political party. The GD accused Gakharia of planning an alleged coup together with the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party, noting that his resignation ’was profitable for the UNM.’
Georgian TV channel Imedi has refused to air a political advertisement of opposition party European Georgia in the run up to the October 2 elections due to alleged ‘hate speech content.'
Georgian TV channel Imedi, which has refused to air a political advertisement of the opposition party European Georgia in the run up to the October 2 elections, has been fined with GEL 5,000.
Commercial advertising revenues of the Georgian broadcasters increased by 30 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, amounting to 79.8 million GEL ($25.8mln/€23.4mln), the Communications Commission revealed on Monday.
The Communications Commission of Georgia, the regulatory body responsible for broadcasting and electronic communication, on Friday announced it was fining six broadcasters for striking deals to set fixed prices for their broadcasting with transit companies, setting a precedent of the violation of competition rules for the domestic media industry.