"First Caucasian" TV Channel to decide on broadcasting continuation after judgement on satellite access

The "First Caucasian" TV Channel has announced its reorganization, reduced the number of programmes and changed the news schedule. According to Georgi Chanturiya, Director General of the Public Television and Radio Broadcasting of Georgia, the decision to go on with the channel will be made depending on the decision of the court in Paris about access to the satellite.

"We're waiting for the verdict, and then we'll decide what to do: I mean - the format of broadcasting, and whether we broadcast at all. Thus, on July 12 the verdict will be known," said Mr Chanturiya.

As he has explained, "first of all, it's a commercial issue."

"When we launched the channel, we hoped that we would be able to attract ads money, as it is a huge area of broadcasting, covering the whole former Soviet Union and many other countries. But after we were forced to stop satellite broadcasting, naturally, we faced financial problems," the Director General has explained.

Earlier, on May 21, Mr Chanturiya said that the "First Caucasian" TV Channel should restore its satellite broadcasting. According to his information, the channel's cut-off from the satellite caused the damage of 11 million euros.

In spite of the fact that the Eutelsat is backed by serious forces, the TV Channel managers wait for the verdict with optimism. Should the court decide in favour of the channel, it will restart in new format by start of autumn, as the "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has already reported that on March 22 the Paris court began considering the claim lodged by the TV Channel "Public Broadcaster of Georgia" (PBG) against the French satellite company Eutelsat, which had deprived the Russian-language "First Caucasian" TV Channel created on the basis of PBG of satellite servicing. The Georgian party demands that the Eutelsat fulfils its obligations that assume broadcasting of the "First Caucasian" via satellite W7 till 2015.