16:00, 5 December 2009

Georgia fines Russian TV Channels for broadcasting in Abkhazia

The National Commission of Georgia for Communications has made a decision to fine a number of Russian TV Companies for broadcasting in the territory of Abkhazia without Georgia's permit. This is the topic of the Commission's statement of December 4.

In August, the TV Companies "NTV", "TV-Centre", "Rossiya" and "Kultura" were fined by the Commission in absentia by 50,000 laris (about 30,000 US dollars). Then, the Commission demanded from them to immediately stop broadcasting in the territory of Georgia without the respective permit.

The order of the Commission was not fulfilled; therefore, now Georgia has imposed fines - by 500,000 laris (about 300,000 US dollars) on each, as the "Business Georgia" reports. The fine for the Channel One Russian Public Television, which was already fined twice, is now 1 million laris (about 600,000 US dollars), the "Newsinfo" notes.

The Russian TV Channels are not going to pay any fines imposed on them by the National Commission of Georgia.