President's Administration Criticizes Public Broadcaster for Not Airing Strasbourg Speech
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, December 19, 2024
The administration of President Salome Zourabichvili has expressed criticism of the Georgian Public Broadcaster's first channel for not airing her speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg live.
In a statement, the administration highlighted the importance of the President's address and questioned the broadcaster's commitment to its legal obligations under Georgian law.
"Georgian Public Broadcaster did not broadcast today's speech of the President of Georgia at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg," the statement said.
The administration emphasized the broadcaster's duty to promote European integration, referencing Article 16 of Georgia's Law 'On Broadcasting'. The law mandates the Public Broadcaster to serve as a balanced and objective source of information, particularly in matters of national importance.
"The public broadcaster, which, according to Article 16 of the Law of Georgia 'On Broadcasting', has the obligation to promote integration into the European Union and which claims to be a balanced and objective media, does not cover the address of the President of Georgia to the European Parliament live," the statement continued.
The President's administration also contextualized the omission, pointing to the current political climate in Georgia.
"This is happening in the background of a deep political crisis and unprecedented public protests in the country, at a time when the country's European future is to be saved," the statement noted.
The statement concluded with a critique of the broadcaster's general approach to covering President Zourabichvili.
"Regarding the President of Georgia, the public broadcaster still does not inform the public fully and objectively," it stated.
