Troubled Kutaisi Radio off Air Again

Kutaisi inhabitants have damaged a transmission antenna of the radio “Dzveli Qalaqi” (Old City) causing termination of radio broadcasting for the second time in 2003. Company headquarters declare police are complacent by inactivity and fail to guarantee security of the radio station.

On March 28, a group of citizens, living nearby the radio office broke into the roof of the building throwing the transmission antenna down the five-storey building. Press officer of “Dzveli Qalaqi” told Advocacy.ge citizens were drunk and armed with axes and hammers.

This incident continues a row of confrontation between the radio and some of Kutaisi inhabitants, who claim the antenna is harmful for their health. They have sued the company in a local district court, and their claim was upheld ceasing the broadcast earlier this year and demanding the company to produce official confirmation of the possible damage done by their transmission equipment. (“Independent Radio Silenced in Kutaisi“)   

The radio company has produced the official certificate, stating the transmission antenna was harmless, but after the court ban on transmission was lifted, some people decided to settle the score individually. Ketevan Berdzenishvili, head of “Dzveli Qalaqi” press office, says they’ve tried to reach out to the citizens: “There were several explanatory meetings held by other organizations supporting us, where the experts consulted citizens about transmission antenna and the safety of broadcasting.”

Company headquarters asked the police to study the situation and identify those responsible for the damage. But they say it will be hard to find the reason for these activities. “I consider, these attacks are related to coming parliamentary elections and they will be finished by the end of the elections. There are certain powers considering citizens should not receive information by independent mass media.” Irakli Machitadze, director of the radio station says.

As Berdzenishvili states police and city headquarters are inactive in investigating the incident. “Next day after the attack the citizens organized a meeting in front of the radio office, declaring they will not let anyone to fix the antenna. However police did not take any measures to stop them”.-Berdzenishvili states.

“There are no motivations to close down the radio station other than political” -head of Georgian National Communication Commission, Vakhtang Abashidze, says. Abashidze argues the court had no grounds to stop the broadcasting of the radio station, as the radio company possesses the certificate of technical equipment issued in Europe, confirming the safety of the transmission antenna. “Withdrawing the license [in case of non-compliance with technical standards] is the responsibility of our commission” -Abashidze added.  

As Ketevan Berdzenishvili says David Beradze, head of Kutaisi Sakrebulo (local self-governmental body) informed Radio Company that a special commission is created for investigating the health damages caused by transmission antenna; however no mass media or civil society organization representatives were included in a commission, raising doubts on its objectivity. 

The radio plans to protect own rights, and hopes the police will find the perpetrators of the attacks.

Advocacy.ge will keep you updated on the developments.