About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Public TV Criticized for ‘Ignoring’ Constitution Discussions
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 14 Sep.'10 / 14:47

Parliamentary minority called on the Georgian public broadcaster’s board of trustees to consider responsibility of the broadcaster’s top management for “ignoring” ongoing discussions on the proposed new constitutional model and for not airing a single TV talk-show or debates on the matter.

“We have been saying that August was not the best time for public discussions on such an important issue like constitutional reform. Majority of the population is not aware about the substance of the proposed constitutional amendments… and the reason of that is that there were no TV talk-shows and debates,” MP Levan Vepkhvadze, a vice-speaker of the parliament from Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM) said at a parliamentary session on September 14.

Georgian television stations usually suspend their regular political talk shows during the news lull of summer, particularly in August.

MP Vepkhvadze said that the public broadcaster had “a special responsibility” in this regard and cited law on broadcasting, which obliges the public broadcaster to regularly air programs on important political developments.

He claimed that the public broadcaster violated this law and its general-director, Gia Chanturia, should be held responsible.

In October, 2008 the Parliament amended law on broadcasting and obliged the public broadcaster to air “every week” programs involving “political discussions on the pressing political developments in the country.”

Lawmakers from the ruling party dismissed the parliamentary minority’s criticism of the public broadcaster saying that no law had been violated. They cited ongoing programming on the public broadcaster’s Second Channel, which allocates airtime to the opposition parties providing non edited and live coverage of their statements and press conferences.

Unlike the public broadcaster’s main, First Channel, its Second Channel does not provide nationwide broadcasting and its coverage is mainly limited with the capital city, Tbilisi, and its surroundings.

“The public broadcaster has not violated any law, because its Second Channel was working intensively during the summer period,” MP Akaki Minashvili of the ruling party said at the parliamentary session.

Parliamentary majority leader, MP Petre Tsiskarishvili, said that law was not violated because the law was not stipulating the public broadcaster to air “political debates”; he cited the wording of the provision according to which the public broadcaster should provide “political discussions on the pressing political developments”; MP Tsiskarishvili said that the Second Channel was providing such opportunity.

Vice-Speaker of the Parliament from the ruling party, Mikheil Machavariani, responded MP Vepkhvadze’s criticism by telling him: “How many pages are in the proposed draft [of constitutional amendments]? – I think 10 pages; so those who wanted could have read it.”

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2024, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
9