Georgia Shifts to Digital Broadcasting

Natia Mikeladze, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development reported that the regions of Tbilisi, Sagarejo, Kojori, Marneuli and Rustavi have shifted to digital broadcasting as of July 1, adding that the remianing regions will shift to the new system by August 25th.

According to Mikeladze, the government has initiated and the Ministry carried out the amendment to the Law on Broadcasting on June 17 of this year, which cancels the licensing system for TV stations and allows them to implement their activities through simple authentication.

She also noted that, until now, the law was tailored to the specifications of analogue broadcasting, as broadcasting in general was related to the usage of drain resources which made the issuing of a license a rather complicated procedure. “Now, the owner of the drain resources and the broadcaster are two different organizations and a channel doesn’t need to undergo those difficult procedures to obtain a license; it can authorize itself at the National Communications Commission,” she explained.

Additionally, within the framework of the reform, the Ministry plans on returning the pre-paid licence fee to 30 channels in proportion of the time left till the expiration of the licence. More than 1 million Lari will be returned to the following channels: Guria, Kavkasia, Tanamgzavri, Meckhre Talga, 25 Telearkhi, Imervizia, Dia, Imepria, Kvetenadze and Company LTD, Kvemo Kartli Telecompany, Argo, Ekomi, Borjomi, Zari, Trialeti, Odishi, Imega, Tvali, Rioni, Mega TV, Piki, Evrika, Pirveli Stereo, Tbilisi, GDS, Iberia TV, Teleimedi, Rustavi 2, Civic Education Foundation and the Media Center for Open Abkhazia.

Moreover, the National Communications Commission has given a radio spectrum free of charge to 21 regional broadcasters in order to continue their activities in the digital era within the area of their broadcasting network.