Parliament Approves Amendments to Law on Broadcasting

Parliament adopted on its first hearing amendments to the law on broadcasting, legally obliging the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) to air political debates.

The draft law, developed by the Anti-Crisis Council, obliges the Georgian Public Broadcaster to regularly air political debates in between elections, with the equal participation of all political forces in Parliament, as well as political groups financed from the state budget.

“After the adoption of this law, airing of debates on the public TV will not depend on any political group, as it will be secured by law,” Parliamentary Chairman Davit Bakradze said in Parliament on October 10.

The initiative is seen as part of the president’s “new wave of democratic reforms.” 
 
Debates on the GPB were resumed on October 3. Its bi-weekly program Comment of the Day was suspended on June 17 under the pretext of summer holidays.