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Pursuant to Article 14 of the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting and the Code of Conduct of Broadcasters adopted by the Georgian National Communication Commission (GNCC) in 2009, broadcasters are obliged to establish an efficient complains mechanism for considering customers’ complaints.

If  a broadcaster breaches the Code of Conduct, apply to us through filling out a provided questionnaire and the Media Development Foundation, MDF will present your complaint in a broadcaster's self-regulation body.
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Posted on: 07 Jul 2015

Public Funds for Media Promoting Hate Speech and Anti-Western Sentiments

Report prepared by Media Development Foundation (MDF) on Public Funds for Media Promoting Hate  Speech and Anti-Western Sentiments was released.

In 2013-2014 public funds were used for providing advertising services of following media organizations proved to promoted hate speech, xenophobia, homophobia and anti-Western sentiments: newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika (GEL 63 923,33), media-union Obiektivi (GEL 52 167,84), Alia Holding members – newspaper Alia and Kviris Chronika (GEL 48 650 – data is not complete7) and newspaper Asaval-Dasavali (GEL 1 200).

Ltd Etaloni-Media received GEL 68 616.01 for producing TV program Etaloni aired on Obiektivi.

According to the report, the data presented in the research is not complete due to the difficulties of obtaining information from number of legal entities of public law (LEPL) and non-commercial, not-for-profit legal entities (NNLE), as well as due to prolonged court hearings.

The report also focuses on the conflict of interests existing in the case of correspondent of European Bureau of Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), illegally airing of TV program Etaloni on Obiektivi TV, interference of administrative authorities into the editorial activities,  Russian-language sources relied on by the media union Obiektivi and other media outlets receiving funding from the state budget and have openly discriminatory editorial policy.

In order to fix these problems the Media Development Foundation issued the following recommendations:

  • The government of Georgia and its specific agencies must take into account the recommendations #7 elaborated by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on the national legislation and refrain from signing contracts with the organizations that have discriminatory editorial policy.
  • On the basis ECRI recommendations they must work out regulations which make compliance with and support of anti-discrimination policy by the other side a pre-condition for making contracts.
  • State agencies must publicize the funds transferred to media for advertisements and publishing of information. They should publish this data on their websites proactively.
  • The Public Broadcaster should react on the basis of the Monitoring Council’s recommendations and study the case of conflict of interest. 
  • Georgian National Communications Commission must effectively monitor compliance with the advertisement legislation, so that all media outlets have equal conditions; particular attention should be paid to the sponsoring of those programs in the cases of which administrative violations have already been found.
  • State agencies should not sign contracts that contain obligations which contradict the law and in some cases constitute interference in the editorial activities.
  • Public Registry must fully publicize and make accessible online the data on political parties, just like it is in the case of other legal entities.
  • The Parliament should review the part of the article on freedom of information of the Administrative Code which regulates access to public information, and decrease the timeframe of hearings of such cases in courts in the interest of timely obtainment of public information. 

 

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