Julie Molegnana, Davit Tsakadze
The Georgian Dispatch, 20 December, Tbilisi, The Board of Trustees of Public Broadcasting announced the closure of six programs, along with the termination of the channel "Teleschool," a channel designed to educate children.
In a meeting held on December 14, television officials rooted a decision as financial restructuring, explaining that the Public Broadcaster is preparing to move to a new building in 2024 due to the current building's state of disrepair.
The channel's budget, which currently stands at 101 million GEL, is slated to remain the same for the next two years. This decision has forced the channel's management to make tough choices about program closures, affecting the livelihoods of some dedicated professionals. The announcement has understandably displeased those responsible for these programs, as evidenced by their reactions. One of the producers of the closed program said, "That's the topic I'm thinking about, and it doesn't make sense to me. I refrain from overthinking to keep my mind from getting cluttered.”.
What is particularly striking about this decision is the budget allocated to the public broadcaster. The 101 million GEL budget surpasses the combined income of all private television stations in Georgia, including well-known channels such as "Imedi," "Rustavi 2," "Main Channel," "Formula," "TV Pirveli," and numerous others. The financial strain faced by the public broadcaster reflects the challenges of operating in a dynamic and competitive media environment.
The official justification provided by the channel's management centers around financial restructuring. With the impending move to a new building, the public broadcaster faces the urgent need to revise its financial structure to accommodate both the relocation and the existing programming. There are no hidden motivations, according to a former presenter of one of the closed programs. "I will not positively evaluate these processes. However, I do not think that there is anything political in this, he stated.
The discontinuation of six programs is likely to impact the media scene in Georgia. Questions arise regarding the channel's capacity to meet its public service obligations and provide quality content to a diverse audience.
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