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Complied by Liana Bezhanishvili
Tuesday, October 13
Maestro is to be switched off

Kviris Palitra reports that the head of the Maestro TV company Mamuka Ghlonti has stated that the Government is continuing to fight with them in complete disregard of any rules. Maestro hopes that it will win this fight but it is reported that its broadcasts are to be switched off in the regions. It is being said that the TV company has financial and ratings problems, and its attacks on the Government are simply attempts to gain publicity to address these.

“I would remind the Government that Maestro has been in the television market for 15 years and has made better and more watched programmes, with the minimum of resources, than the TV companies controlled by the Government, which spend millions achieving the same ratings. For example Cell No 5’s set includes only one room and four iron beds but the programme gains a higher rating than Courier on Rustavi 2 or anything on Imedi.

“Ratings always go down in summer, everywhere. Gradually our ratings will increase and we promise the Government that we will give it many surprises. They are not lying about our financial problems and they know everything about our finances because they control everything.

“Through your newspaper I want to address the pharmaceutical companies Aversi and PSP, The Bank of Georgia and Coca-Cola, and tell them they can place TV adverts with us for only GEL 1. Will they do this? How will they dare?!” stated Mamuka Ghlonti.



Zourabichvili says opposition will go all out this time

In an interview with Kviris Palitra Leader of The Way of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has talked about the opposition’s future plans and the forthcoming local elections.

“Some say that the protest actions finished badly for us. Frankly we stopped because US Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Georgia. We wanted to listen to what he would say. Then we began a phase of silence and stepping back because Saakashvili was saying that the economy was being destroyed by us standing on Rustaveli Avenue. In fact what was happening was that Saakashvili could not curtail the media because I was standing near the Public Broadcaster’s exit. Therefore we stood back, kept silent and allowed him to destroy everything himself.

“When Biden or anyone else asks Saakashvili what he is doing, he cannot now say that the opposition is preventing him from doing positive things. What did Saakashvili do during our silence? Imprisoned more citizens, appointed Bacho Akhalaia the Minister of Defence, damaged the economy more and ruined the few business which still existed. What he did with the television stations we have all seen.

“After a hundred days the opposition will analyse what Saakashvili did during that time. Then will come the third phase, the total fight. We will consider what has been done right and what wrong so far. We will never do a deal with this Government, as we will always be deceived.

“They say that the opposition wants to remove the Government by revolution. We state categorically that we will never do such as thing while the Russians are 40 kilometres from Tbilisi. A country where everyone is listened to will never have a revolution.

“The opposition is as united as it was before April but its leaders are doing different things. Our main purpose is to change the Government and nobody has said that this demand will change. Everyone knows that this must happen through elections and peacefully.”