The Communications Commission recognized “TV Pirveli,” “Formula,” and “Mtavari Arkhi” as violators for breaching the principle of impartiality during news broadcasts but exempted all three broadcasters from administrative liability. This information was disseminated by the Communications Commission.
According to their statement, a complaint against the media outlets was filed by the political union “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia.”
“The complaint established that the broadcasters expressed their own positions during news coverage, which contradicts the principle of impartiality in broadcasting and violates the requirements of Georgia’s Law ‘On Broadcasting.’
Additionally, the complaint also contested information disseminated by ‘TV Pirveli,’ ‘Formula,’ and ‘Mtavari Arkhi’ on social media, which, according to the law, is subject to the same legal regulations. Accordingly, the Communications Commission’s assessment found that these cases also constituted violations of Georgia’s Law ‘On Broadcasting.’
The political union ‘Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia’ indicated in the complaint that the broadcasters failed to separate facts from opinions in their news programs, thereby violating the requirements of Article 54, Paragraph 2 of Georgia’s Law ‘On Broadcasting.’ However, upon reviewing the issue, the Communications Commission deemed it irrelevant to discuss a violation of this paragraph, as it could not be violated by the broadcasters, given that, under Article 54, Paragraph 5 of Georgia’s Law ‘On Broadcasting,’ broadcasters are entirely prohibited from expressing positions in support of or against any political party, public, religious association, or other interest group in news and socio-political programs.
Based on the circumstances reviewed, the Communications Commission determined that the broadcasters violated the requirements of Article 54, Paragraph 5, and Article 59¹, Paragraph 5 of Georgia’s Law ‘On Broadcasting.’ In cases where a violation is confirmed, the Communications Commission is authorized to impose sanctions provided by the law. However, considering that the violation occurred during the transitional period defined by Article 76⁴ of Georgia’s Law ‘On Broadcasting,’ and taking into account that the Commission had not previously deliberated on the broadcasters’ impartiality standards or assessed compliance with the prohibition on expressing their own opinions in news programs, the Communications Commission, based on the totality of these circumstances, recognized the broadcasters as violators but exempted them from administrative liability,” the statement reads.
“I can promise that in terms of law enforcement, we will be as lenient as possible, especially until the practice is established. We are as interested as the public and you are in ensuring that disinformation is not spread, that our society is not misled, that facts are not misinterpreted or deliberately distorted, that specific opinions are not presented as facts, and that the interests of viewers are protected,” said Kakha Bekauri, Chairman of the Communications Commission, at the Commission’s previous meeting.
“It should be noted that, as of April 1, 2025, amendments to the Law ‘On Broadcasting’ introduced new regulations for broadcasters, specifically regarding: the proper accuracy of facts and the right to reply; fairness and impartiality; the inviolability of private life; obtaining or broadcasting information by a broadcaster using covert methods; coverage of armed conflicts, accidents, or other emergency situations; and specific issues related to the protection of minors participating in programs. It is noteworthy that, prior to the law’s entry into force, most of these requirements were enforced solely by the broadcaster’s self-regulatory body, whose decisions could not be appealed in court, the Commission, or any other administrative body. However, with the amendments that took effect on April 1, the Communications Commission was granted the authority to legally respond to violations of the listed requirements,” the information disseminated by the Communications Commission states.
v-if="article.gallery" v-html="article.gallery"
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});