News Corporation: "Imedi" managers and policy in Georgia remain unchanged

According to the statement of representatives of the News Corporation Company, which became yesterday, on October 31, an absolute owner of the Georgian TV Company "Imedi", the political orientation and the managers of the Company will remain unchanged. The partners have stated this at the extraordinary briefing held in hotel "Tbilisi-Marriott".

According to Martin Pompadour, head of the News Corp Europe, the Company has had no operational experience in this sort of political conditions earlier.

"Balance is the work style of our Company. But we know the situation in Georgia: balance is hard to attain here. Especially in the conditions when the authorities are boycotting the channel, and there is no dialogue, and a monologue. Therefore I address both the authorities and the opposition: if someone wishes to state his position, we are equally opened to all the parties," Mr Pompadour said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"As to Patarkatsishvili's decision, he took this step after stating that he would finance the opposition in order not to have a conflict of interests," he added.

Martin Pompadour has explained his interest in the "Imedi": "We're businessmen, and although the Georgian market is small, all of us are still sure that by means of the "Imedi" we can make money here."

In his turn, Irakliy Rukhadze, a member of the Board of Guardians of the "Imedi" TV Company has explained why Mr Patarkatsishvili has chosen the News Corporation. "It's a huge company with broad experience of working in the sphere of mass media," said Mr Rukhadze. "Besides, they've already taken part in managing and owning the 'Imedi', and they have no attitude to Georgian politics."