Adjara. On November 6, the
Batumi Civic Engagement Center has organized a public meeting/discussion on the
"determination of the status of the Adjara television and radio". As
the meeting organizers have noted, by the end of the year the Law on
Broadcasting must be amended and the status of the television must be finally
determined, otherwise the functioning of the regional channel will be put to
question. NGO sector, lawyers, journalists and legislators have discussed
several versions of the television's status. According to the survey conducted
by the "Democracy Institute", 76% of the respondents have supported
the establishment of the television as the regional public broadcaster.
According to one of the versions, it must be sold, transformed into a limited
liability company or closed, as the Adjara budget bears rather huge expenses
for running it.Deputy Head of the Adjara Supreme Council Davit
Batsikadze, Chair of the NGO "Democracy Institute" GenoGeladze, Head
of the "Independent Journalists' House" AslanChanidze, media expert
AmiranKighuradze, as well as the representatives of various political parties,
CSOs, students and media have participated in the discussion.