The News in Brief
Wednesday, June 21
GPB Director General: RFE/RL Program Shutdown Part of TV ‘Renewal’
Vasil Maglaperidze, Director General of the publicly-funded Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), responded to the public row over the termination of the InterVIEW and the Red Zone, two of its television programs produced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Georgian Service, saying the shutdown is part of bigger television “renewal” plans.
“If one wants to assess the situation correctly, we should be speaking of all the programs and not only of the two. The Public Broadcaster is currently undergoing a big renewal: the entire programming is being changed, new programs are introduced … some programs will be updated. Nothing will remain in its current form,” Maglaperidze said in his interview published by GPB on June 19.
“I do not think it is right to separate these two programs: all programs together make the television and we need to look at the whole picture,” Maglaperidze said, adding that desire of the new management to substitute and change programs “requires no clarification.”
The Director General spoke specifically on the two RFE/RL programs as well, stressing that they are not “jointly produced” and that the Public Broadcaster “is only tasked to air them.” “[Now] GPB is only a platform and nothing else, which we are not interested in.”
Maglaperidze also underlined that the Broadcaster “did not shut the programs down,” but “simply, refused to prolong the contracts, according to which, GPB’s only function was to serve as a silent platform.”
The Director General, however, added that GPB remains open for joint programs with other media outlets, including with RFE/RL. “GPB has much bigger potential and it can contribute important intellectual resources in joint productions.”
Political Party, Civil Society Reactions
Termination of the InterVIEW and the Red Zone has raised questions among opposition political parties and civil society organizations.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics issued a statement on June 14, expressing “concern” over the termination and calling on the GPB management to “revise” the decision.
“The Charter’s Board believes that maintaining both programs are extremely important, since the Red Zone and the InterVIEW offered highly professional and diverse media products to its viewers,” the organization said.
Similar points were voiced by a group of five civil society organizations (CSOs), including the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and the Media Advocacy Coalition. (Civil.ge)
PM: Restrictions on land ownership won’t create threat for direct foreign investments
“Certain restrictions on land ownership will not create any threat for direct foreign investments,” Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said in response to a question concerning the alienation of land plots.
According to him, the change will not apply to present land owners.
“Certain restrictions we are imposing on land plots ownership will never create threats for direct foreign investments. First of all, this is a response to the desire of the vast majority of our population,” he claimed.
“Naturally, we will have the necessary forms, such as long-term lease for qualified investors…the change we are making is retroactive and has nothing to do with existing ownership,” he added. (IPN)
Vasil Maglaperidze, Director General of the publicly-funded Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), responded to the public row over the termination of the InterVIEW and the Red Zone, two of its television programs produced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Georgian Service, saying the shutdown is part of bigger television “renewal” plans.
“If one wants to assess the situation correctly, we should be speaking of all the programs and not only of the two. The Public Broadcaster is currently undergoing a big renewal: the entire programming is being changed, new programs are introduced … some programs will be updated. Nothing will remain in its current form,” Maglaperidze said in his interview published by GPB on June 19.
“I do not think it is right to separate these two programs: all programs together make the television and we need to look at the whole picture,” Maglaperidze said, adding that desire of the new management to substitute and change programs “requires no clarification.”
The Director General spoke specifically on the two RFE/RL programs as well, stressing that they are not “jointly produced” and that the Public Broadcaster “is only tasked to air them.” “[Now] GPB is only a platform and nothing else, which we are not interested in.”
Maglaperidze also underlined that the Broadcaster “did not shut the programs down,” but “simply, refused to prolong the contracts, according to which, GPB’s only function was to serve as a silent platform.”
The Director General, however, added that GPB remains open for joint programs with other media outlets, including with RFE/RL. “GPB has much bigger potential and it can contribute important intellectual resources in joint productions.”
Political Party, Civil Society Reactions
Termination of the InterVIEW and the Red Zone has raised questions among opposition political parties and civil society organizations.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics issued a statement on June 14, expressing “concern” over the termination and calling on the GPB management to “revise” the decision.
“The Charter’s Board believes that maintaining both programs are extremely important, since the Red Zone and the InterVIEW offered highly professional and diverse media products to its viewers,” the organization said.
Similar points were voiced by a group of five civil society organizations (CSOs), including the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and the Media Advocacy Coalition. (Civil.ge)
PM: Restrictions on land ownership won’t create threat for direct foreign investments
“Certain restrictions on land ownership will not create any threat for direct foreign investments,” Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said in response to a question concerning the alienation of land plots.
According to him, the change will not apply to present land owners.
“Certain restrictions we are imposing on land plots ownership will never create threats for direct foreign investments. First of all, this is a response to the desire of the vast majority of our population,” he claimed.
“Naturally, we will have the necessary forms, such as long-term lease for qualified investors…the change we are making is retroactive and has nothing to do with existing ownership,” he added. (IPN)