We are expressing deep concern about the profound institutional crisis in the Public Broadcasting. The trust for this organization among the citizens is critically low, even though they pay more and more in the state budget every year to finance the broadcasting. Unfortunately, the Public Broadcasting does not serve the public interests, is not able of carrying out responsibility given to it and represents a media organization executing narrow, party-related  interests.

As the individuals signing this document  and realizing the importance of the role and function of the Public Broadcasting in the democratic society, we are announcing a movement for the reformation of Public Broadcasting and offer a 6-point plan, in the frames of which we request:

1. Meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia – In order to improve the situation created around the Public Broadcasting, appropriate political will and decision-making is needed. Accordingly, we request to meet the Prime Minister in order to represent our requirements, viewpoints and discuss the solutions.

2. Summoning the Board of Trustees members and the Executive Director in the Georgian parliament- Once again, in order to ensure transparency and accountability, we are inducing the Georgian parliament to take interest in the events happening at the Public Broadcasting and arrange a public discussion conferring the degree of how much the Public Broadcasting fulfills the statutory obligations.

 3. Resignation of the Executive Director of the Public Broadcasting Vasil Maghlaperidze – There are a lot of inconsistent and arguable decisions connected to Vasil Maghlaperidze’s name and the period of his work as a Director. Among those is the vague plan of Broadcasting reform, the non-transparent personnel policy, which is shown in appointing the journalists from the former Prime Minister’s broadcasting without any competition, dubious tenders, non-fulfillment of the program priorities, loyal editorial policies towards the state, losing the bureau of Europe and so on. The famous case of the writer Zviad Ratiani is also connected to Vasil Maghlaperidze. In this case the Public Broadcasting deeply violated the worldwide-acknowledged ethic standards and spread an edited, out of context video, which was serving the interests of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

4. Conducting an unscheduled audit of the Public Broadcasting, which will study the activities of the new management during 2017 – The compliance report published by the audit service, which  covers 2015-2016 years, disclosed considerable financial and managerial violations, which coincides with the civil society assessments. Since the decisions made by the new management became the object for well-grounded criticism, we consider an unscheduled audit in the Public Broadcasting as necessity, which will watch closely the last year’s activities.

 5. Reforming the Public Broadcasting, also reviewing the rule of the Board of Trustees’ institutional formation and changing the standards regulating the Board’s work – The existing rule of the Board of Trustees and their work unambiguously does not correspond with the challenges which the Public Broadcasting comes upon. Accordingly, it is necessary to create a working group in parliament with the involvement of civic society, which will work on setting quotas for the Board’s members and creating a better model of elections in order to be free from political/economical influence and form an effective accountable board.

6. The parliament must not prevail over the president’s veto, which regards the planned changes in the law “about broadcasting” – The changes initiated by the Public Broadcasting reduces the publicity and transparency of the broadcasting, increases the risks of corruption and largely damages the advertising market. So, the parliament must not prevail over the veto and start working with the civil sector and other stakeholders on the changes actually needed for reforming the broadcasting.

 

1. Transparancy International - Georgia

2. The Georigan Charter of Journalistic Ethics

3. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association

4. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)

5. Open Society Georgian Foundation (OSGF)

6. Civil development Agency (CIDA)

7. Media Club

8. Internatinal Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)

9. Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS)

10. Human Rights and Monitoring Center(EMC)

11. Assosiation of Small and Medium Telecom Operators of Georgia

 12. Research Journalism and Economic Analysis Center

13. Safari

14. 42th article of the Constitution

15. Human Rights Center

16. Psychological and Medical Reahabilitation Center for Torture Victims

17. Media Institute

18. Journalism Resource Center

19. Europe Foundation

20. Georgia’s Civil Development Association

21. Unit “Demosi”

22. Bolnisi Language House

23. Georgian Rural Council

24. Association “Specter”

25. Union of Democrat Meskhs

26. Community Union Hereti

27. Charter of Peace

28. We – For Healthy Future

29. Association ,,Union of Chiaturians”

30. Young Scientists Club of Ozurgeti

31. Saunje

32. Atinati

33. Tkibuli District Development Fund

34. Step Kharagauli

35. Media Center of Samtskhe-Javakheti

36. Human Rights Development Fund

37. Paata Shamugia-Poet

38. Lasha Bakradze-Writer

39. Sandro Jandieri-Director

40. Gvantsa Jobava - Georgian Publishers’ Association

41. Rati Amaghlobeli - Poet

42. Lasha Bughadze - Writer

43. Nestan Kvinikadze - Writer

44. Nino Danelia – Professor at Ilia State University

45. Nino Ivanishvili – Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, Dean of Journalism and Media Management School

46. Shora Iatashvili - Poet

47. Zurab Rtveliashvili - Poet

48. Levan Berdzenishvili - Philologist

49. Nino Bekishvili – The manager of Writers’ House

50. Masho Samadashvili – Georgian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association

51. Otar Jirkvalishvili - Writer

52. Iunona Guruli - Writer

53. Temur Chkhetiani - Poet

54. Keti Kantaria - Translator

55. Teona Dolenjashvili - Writer

56. Diana Anpimiadi - Writer

57. Zviad Ratiani - Poet

58. Darejan Kikoliashvili – Translator

59. Dato robakidze - Poet

60. Jimsher Rekhviashvili - Writer

61. Gaga Nakhurtsishvili - Poet

62. Irakli Lomouri - Writer

63. Gia Jandieri – New Economic School

64. Irakli Kakabadze - Writer

65. Natia Mikeladze – Goethe Institute

66. Khatuna Tskhadadze - Translator

67. Nino Robakidze – Media researcher

68. Nino Kharatishvili - Writer

69. Teona Jorbenadze – Screenwriter/producer

70. Dato Turashvili - Writer

71. Ekaterine Togonidze - Writer

72. Medea Bakradze - Painter

73. Khatuna Tavdgiridze - Writer