Media Development Foundation (MDF) and United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG) addressed the Board of Trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster with recommendations for the 2015-2016 program priorities. Recommendations were developed based on the MDF’s one-year media monitoring study.

"The Georgian Public Broadcaster, which is required by the law to produce programs in minority languages, must play a special role in filling the information gap created due to language barrier in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions which are largely populated by ethnic minorities who do not know the state language”, - the recommendations states.

Organizations call on the Public Broadcaster to respond to the Anti-Western propaganda with programs produced in minority languages about the Euro-Atlantic integration processes.

The recommendations also refers to reporting on the issues of diversity, which includes not only producing programs in minority languages, but also supporting integration through inclusive approach and providing public forum for all groups of the society.

Separate recommendations are devoted to the accountability and self-regulation of the Public Broadcaster.

"Due to the inefficiency of appeal mechanism, the Broadcasters Code of Conduct as well as internal guiding document often have a formal character and do not ensure the protection of the public Broadcaster from homophobic, xenophobic and Armenophobic statements”, - the recommendations note. NGOs call on the Public Broadcaster to revise the self-regulatory body’s established practice of discussing  the cases on violations of the Code of Conduct and in this respect realize the responsibility of Board of Trustees, as the appellate body.

The Board of Trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster launched public administrative proceedings with the aim to outline 2015-2016 program priorities on 28 April.