Iberia TV Suspends Broadcasting
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, October 18
“The Government shut down Iberia!” this is the only thing the audience can see if they switch to Iberia TV channel.
Nato Chkheidze, founder of the TV Company, posted on social network that the government achieved its goal and the TV channel stopped broadcasting.
"Iberia TV has stopped broadcasting. The government has achieved its aim; it blocked the vital artery and the TV Company stopped broadcasting. Confrontation with the media will bring bad results to the ruling Georgian Dream Government. Confrontation with professional people will bring bad results to the authorities. They cannot imagine this, but they are totally wrong!" Nato Chkheidze’s Facebook post reads.
In addition, Head of the Iberia News Service, Vakho Khuzmiashvili says “terror from the GD” and financial problems served as the main reasons why the TV company suspended broadcasting.
“The government used all leverage against us. Today we stopped broadcasting. We do not know what will happen tomorrow,” he posted on Facebook.
Journalists of Georgia’s Iberia TV speak of the pressure from the government through creating financial problems for Omega Group Company, which is the main financial donor of Iberia TV.
The journalists say the current situation indicates there is an unhealthy media environment in the country, adding it affects the interest of the public, especially in the pre-election period when citizens are in the process of making important political decisions.
However, the government rejects accusations, saying Omega Group has Gel 51 million debts to the country, as it was not paying taxes.
Last month Georgian Prime Minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze said that owing a TV station does not mean avoiding paying taxes.
“The Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance delayed sanctions for this company 11 times, but we saw an even more negative trend. In recent months, the organization has further increased the debt,” he explained.
Earlier this month Bakhtadze added that media is free in Georgia and so is Business. “The Iberia TV has a problem as the Omega Group, which owns the TV, has financial problems. It is nonsense as if the government has any interest to the media channel,” Bakhtadze said.
After the TV station announced about suspension of broadcasting, the PM said everyone will pay taxes to the budget of Georgia.
"As for the protection of business and its interests in Georgia, situation in this regard is clear for everyone, which is also confirmed by our position in international ratings…I would like to underline with full responsibility that everyone will pay taxes to the budget of Georgia,” he added.
Iberia TV also spoke about pressure and financial problems in February 2018. The TV Company claimed that the Omega Group was "under serious financial hardship" and urged the authorities to "prevent illegal actions against the company.”
