TI Georgia: New Restrictive Legislation Aims to Destroy Critical TV Channels

Transparency International-Georgia (TI Georgia) has strongly criticized two newly proposed legislative amendments on broadcasting initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The organization stated that these amendments aim to dismantle critical media and that they “clearly contradict international standards applicable to freedom of expression” as well as international human rights law and the Constitution.

The controversial amendments were introduced on February 24 by the Georgian Dream party. The first  amendment seeks to ban foreign funding for audiovisual broadcasters, while the second would strip media organizations of self-regulation by giving the Communications Commission sweeping powers to control broadcast content. If enacted, these amendments would give the Communications Commission the power to review matters previously regulated by self-regulation and to impose fines on television and radio stations.

In a statement issued on February 25, TI-Georgia warned that the main objective of the amendments is “to weaken or completely eliminate independent broadcasting media by restricting its financial revenue sources.” The statement highlights that the aim is to cut off critical broadcast media from international donor funding in the situation where due to the objectively limited advertising market and other factors make it difficult for critical broadcasters to survive on advertising revenues alone.

The watchdog said that another aim of the changes is to expand and further tighten the Communications Commission’s administrative control over independent broadcasting media.

Part of the problem is that it minimizes the role of the self-regulatory mechanism and expands the role of the Communications Commission, as far complaints about factual accuracy, invasion of privacy and other issues are concerned. “This means that de jure, the self-regulation mechanism remains in place, but de facto, its function is transferred to the Communications Commission,” the TI-Georgia noted.

The second package of amendments also expands the requirements concerning factual accuracy, fairness, and impartiality. “This provision effectively grants the Communications Commission the power to interfere with a broadcaster’s editorial policy, eventually leading to censorship or self-censorship,” the watchdog said.

The organization criticized the introduction of censorship and content control, which will be assigned to the Communications Commission (ComCom), an institution that TI-Georgia stressed has “repeatedly demonstrated its bias in favor of the government and to the detriment of independent media.”

Restriction of freedom of expression under the pretext of “privacy protection” is another concern identified by the TI-Georgia. It also noted that the amendments introduce a special provision that supposedly aims to protect “the inviolability of private life.” However, in reality, its provisions “are excessively vague and could serve as a basis for unjustified restrictions on a broadcaster’s freedom of expression.”

The amendments, which restrict the ability of broadcast media, especially investigative journalism, to make video and audio recordings, essentially strips it of its function, according to the assessment.

Another objective of the proposed amendments the watchdogs said is “create favorable conditions for Russian and anti-Western propaganda and disinformation.” The organization argues that by “weakening or entirely removing” independent broadcasting TV channels, the government will allow state-controlled channels, which are known for disseminating anti-Western rhetoric to dominate the media landscape. “Until now, the segment of society critical of the government could counterbalance the anti-Western and pro-Russian narratives disseminated by state-controlled channels with the strongly anti-Russian content of critical media. From now on, access to alternative and critical commentary will be significantly restricted,” the organization warned.

Also Read:

• 24/02/2025 – GD Registers “Exact Copy” of FARA in Parliament
• 25/10/2024 – Final Findings of CoE Press Freedom Mission to Georgia
• 24/08/2022 – Communications Commission Fines Mtavari Arkhi, Warns TV Pirveli, Formula
• 28/01/2021 – GNCC Finds Mtavari Arkhi TV Guilty over Airing ‘Obscene’ Footage

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