Formula has been fined 5,000 GEL for violating the Law on Broadcasting. The Communications Commission has released information about the above.

According to them, after conducting periodic media monitoring by the Communications Commission, Formula is accused of violating Article 54 - Fairness and Impartiality, Paragraph 5 of the Law on Broadcasting.

"The Communications Commission fined Formula the minimum sanction provided for by the law - 5,000 GEL for violating the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting. In particular, as a result of the monitoring, which was conducted from June 15 to June 17 of this year, facts of violation of the requirements established by the law on impartiality and dissemination of personal opinions by presenters and journalists in the news programs of the Formula were revealed.

The violations identified by the Commission included assessments made by journalists and presenters in the news programs, which represented coverage of current political and public issues based on the personal attitude of the broadcaster, which is restricted by the legislation. In particular: The Law of Georgia on Broadcasting prohibits the coverage of news and socio-political programs based on personal attitude or opinion. It is prohibited for a broadcaster to cover political or other types of controversial information or current issues of public policy in a news and socio-political program based on the personal attitude or opinion of the broadcaster. Accordingly, not only the expression of the broadcaster's position is restricted, but also - in accordance with the broadcaster's position - the coverage of political or other types of controversy and current issues of public policy.

Given that TV Company Formula has already received two sanctions for a similar violation over the past year: a written warning and a fine of 2,500 GEL, this time, according to the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting, the company should be fined no more than 1% of its annual income, but this time the Commission used its discretionary authority and imposed the minimum fine provided for by law on TV Company Formula for the aforementioned violation - 5,000 GEL”, reads the information.