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Compiled by Messenger Staff
Friday, November 25
Georgians rarely go to either the theatre or cinema

Rezonansi writes that a market research company carried out a poll among youth whether they go to the cinema or theatre and how often.

According to the poll, 10% of those asked go to the cinema once a month and 7% go to the theatre once a month.

“I would like to often go to the theatre but I have neither enough time or money,” says one of the respondents. Another person says that he wants to see a new movie on a big screen but because of lack of money he cannot do it often. There are some people who have time and money for enjoying the theatre or the cinema however they do not go as they prefer to see the movie on the internet.

Overall the result showed that more than half of the total population of Tbilisi do not go to the theatre and the number of people who go to both places are very small.



Rezonansi – Editors Need to Unite to Save Press Dissemination

Rezonansi reports that City Hall declared an auction on trade booths in the places where press dissemination booths are located. Most editors of Georgian newspapers think that it’s necessary to unite to save press dissemination. Newspaper Rezonansi spoke with the heads of various publications about closing press booths in Tbilisi. The editor of Alia Dimitri Tikaradze says that the government intends to monopolize press dissemination and the free media must block this, Rezonansi reports.

“Independent media must consolidate to fight together against the threat of dissemination of an independent press”, Tikaradze says. Editor of Akhali Taoba Soso Goginashvili says that they must do everything possible to avoid this threat.

Editor of Versia Maia Purtseladze says that the government wants to control the press as it could not overpower the independent media in other ways. “Free press representatives must work out a plan to stop the threat”, Purtseladze says.

Founder of Kviris Palitra Irakli Tevdorashvili thinks that the auction declared by Tbilisi City hall on placing trade booths will be a serious problem for press dissemination. “I think this problem must be solved on a legislative level, as we remember many attacks against the press. In this specific case, I think the disseminators, who will be demanded by City Hall to remove the booths, must be able to have the right to continue working at a fixed price, even if City Hall demands new booths from them, like the ones they have on their websites. The Press Dissemination Company and people in the beverage or “shaurma” business must not be competing on equal terms”, Irakli Tevdorashvili told Rezonansi. Editor-in-chief of 24 Saati Paata Veshapidze does not see a threat from the auction. “The more booths there are the more press will be sold. The booths will not be for press dissemination but for selling any other products, starting from shaurma to shoes. I can’t tell you that there is a threat in this. Eating shaurma doesn’t hinder reading the press”, Paata Veshapidze said. The chairperson of the regional press association Ia Mamaladze however thinks that the government is trying to close the space for free media. “The question is why this government needs this? They need it as the press is not controllable. The government failed to fully subordinate the press”, Mamaladze says.