Georgia’s Public Broadcaster will suspend TV programs from July to September

The Board of Trustees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) – a state-funded television network – has today approved the changes proposed by the executive managers of the GPB.

According to the changes, GPB programing will remain unchanged until the end of this season, July 17, afterwhich a comprehensive reform process will begin, entailing the suspension of all GPB TV programs with the exception of news.

From September, only a limited number of TV programs will return to air or new programs will be introduced; all of the old or new programs will be selected through an open competition.

Before this happens, the GPB has to define what its priorities are and what kind of TV programs the channel should offer from the new season starting in September. March 25 is the deadline for coming up with the list of priorities.

After this step, a competition will be announced and media professionals will be able to submit their ideas for TV shows to the GPB – already existing or new programs that will align with the priorities of the GPB will be broadcast again during the new season.

GPB's head of multimedia department Tinatin Berdzenishvili said that currently there are 30 TV programs on the GPB, but from September this number will be lowered to about 15 or 20 in order to save finances for other important issues, such as the construction of a new building for the GPB and a full technical upgrade, including the digitalisation of the GPB archive.

GPB Director General Vasil Maglaperidze said that the construction of a GPB building will begin soon and the TV company will have a brand new building in 2018.

The changes presented today were supported by all but two members of the Board of Trustees – Sulhkan Saladze and Ketevan Skhiladze, who say the reform plan lacks details, such as what will happen to those employees whose programs will not make it through the new season.