Financial Problems Delay Imedi Resumption – Executive
Imedi TV is not expected to resume partial broadcasts until April 7, a week later than was originally planned, because of financial problems, Bidzina Baratashvili, the executive director of the television station, has said.
“Resumption of broadcasts has been postponed for several more days, because we have a financial debt to Eurasiasat [satellite operator] and we won’t be able to resume broadcasts if this debt is not repaid,” he said in an interview with the daily Rezonansi, published on April 2. “There are other debts as well to some other organizations.”
Rezonansi said that total debts amounted to GEL 2.3 million.
Baratashvili said that he had spoken to Joseph Kay, the new owner of the television station, on the matter. Kay, he said, had expressed a readiness to resolve Imedi’s financial problems.
“I presume that we will resume partial broadcasts on Monday [April 7],” Baratashvili said. Normal programming, with news bulletins every three hours, would, he said, start from April 14.
According to Rezonansi, Imedi TV wants to restart its daily political talk-show, On the Air, on April 21. The newspaper said the station’s management was negotiating with Vakho Sanaia, a former Rustavi 2 journalist, to host the program.
