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
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15, J. Kakhidze str. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: (995 32) 95 23 53; Fax: (995 32) 92 32 11; E-mail: gyla@gyla.ge; www.gyla.ge