Source: civil.ge
Unlike other post-Soviet states, Russia no longer exerts “cultural influence” on Georgia, President Saakashvili said on November 8 and in this context he spoke of the power of television as a tool having “significant cultural and political influence on our identity.
“Russia is a retarded, feudal country – and let’s say directly what Russia is today: economically it is Nigeria sitting on oil – this retarded country has cultural influence almost on every post-Soviet country… It actually has no such influence over Georgia any longer,” said Saakashvili speaking at a meeting with a group of students of the Free University of Tbilisi.
In Moldova, Ukraine, “our neighboring South Caucasus countries” and Central Asia Russian leaders enjoy more popularity than the local political ones. “Georgia has put an end to it, Russia has no longer got it in Georgia,” he stressed.
“Why is it so important to strengthen our television stations? It has a significant cultural and political influence on our identity,” he continued. “We no longer watch ORT [Russia’s broadcaster now called Channel One], NTV [Gazprom-owned Russian broadcaster] or RTR [Russian broadcaster now called Rossiya-1] and thousands of other abominable things.”
Source: civil.ge
Unlike other post-Soviet states, Russia no longer exerts “cultural influence” on Georgia, President Saakashvili said on November 8 and in this context he spoke of the power of television as a tool having “significant cultural and political influence on our identity.
“Russia is a retarded, feudal country – and let’s say directly what Russia is today: economically it is Nigeria sitting on oil – this retarded country has cultural influence almost on every post-Soviet country… It actually has no such influence over Georgia any longer,” said Saakashvili speaking at a meeting with a group of students of the Free University of Tbilisi.
In Moldova, Ukraine, “our neighboring South Caucasus countries” and Central Asia Russian leaders enjoy more popularity than the local political ones. “Georgia has put an end to it, Russia has no longer got it in Georgia,” he stressed.
“Why is it so important to strengthen our television stations? It has a significant cultural and political influence on our identity,” he continued. “We no longer watch ORT [Russia’s broadcaster now called Channel One], NTV [Gazprom-owned Russian broadcaster] or RTR [Russian broadcaster now called Rossiya-1] and thousands of other abominable things.”
“On the contrary, a Russian-language Georgian television is now being created and you will see how much audience it [Georgia’s Russian-language channel] will take from them [the Russian broadcasters], because these are the TV stations [referring to the Georgian ones], which originated from democratic culture of the ancient nation with genuine identity,” Saakashvili said.
Russian channels, broadcasting news, have been off air since the Georgian-Russian war in August 2008. The channels were blocked following government’s instructions issued to the local cable TV networks. The Russian channels, however, are still available through satellite dishes.
While mentioning the Russian-language Georgian television stations, Saakashvili was apparently referring to the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s First Caucasian Channel launched in January, 2010 to target Russian-speaking audience in North and South Caucasus. It, however, suspended broadcasting after Europe’s leading satellite operator, Eutelsat, denied to host the channel on its satellite.
In July, 2010 the Georgian Public Broadcaster handed the channel’s management rights over to a private company, K1 co-founded by a British journalist Robert Parsons, who was approached by the Georgian government with a request to run the channel.
A one year GEL 13.9 million worth contract was signed with K1 in July under which the First Caucasian channel, which is currently in the process of rebranding, has to re-launch broadcasting no later than January 30, 2011.
In the draft amendments to be made to the budget 2010 GEL 13.3 million is apportioned for the First Caucasian Channel mentioned under the name of third channel.