Imedi Holding New Owner Sacks Top Management

Joseph Kay, who claims to be a new owner of Imedi media holding, sacked Imedi radio station’s director Nona Kandiashvili and general-director Irakli Khetereli.

Nino Gabriadze, a spokesperson of state minister for regional issues Davit Tkeshelashvili, was appointed as a new director of the Imedi radio station.

Speaking in noon live talk show on Saturday, host of the Imedi radio station’s program, Nino Tskhvarashvili, said: “We [journalists of the radio station] were promised that new management would not intervene in the radio station’s editorial policy.” She also added: “We will not tolerate if there are any instructions on journalists.”

Imedi radio station, which broadcasts in talk radio and news format, together with Imedi TV station is part of the same holding. Imedi TV resumed partial broadcasts in early May, but there is no news on the television station; it, instead airs only movies and TV series.

Joseph Kay, late tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili’s distant relative, said in March that he had bought shares into Imedi TV and radio from Gogi Jaoshvili “simply by paying money.” Gogi Jaoshvili, reportedly a close friend of Patarkatsishvili, owned 70% of JMG, a company with a 65% stake in I-Media, which is the founder and 100% owner of Imedi TV and radio. According to papers submitted to the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) by Imedi TV in December, the remaining 35% of the I-Media shares are owned by Universal, a firm founded by three relatives of Patarkatsishvili.

Kay denied allegations that the authorities were in fact behind the deal.

Inna Gudavadze, the widow of Patarkatsishvili, said in March that the Georgian government was trying to take over Imedi with the help of “imposters.”