The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) said on December 17 that three TV companies have submitted papers indicating information about ownership, as its required by the law on broadcasting, Civil Georgia reported.
Mze TV and Rustavi 2 TV, according to their papers, are owed by two companies – Georgian Industrial Group (GIG) and GeoMedia Group.
GIG, which owns 45% of shares into both of the television stations, is a giant company with diversified business interests ranging from coal mining and energy to travel. Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili’s brother, a lawmaker Davit Bezhuashvili is a founder of GIG.
Rest of the shares, 55%, into the Rustavi 2 TV and Mze TV is owned by GeoMedia Group. The only information available about the company is that it is registered in Marshal Islands.
Imedi TV, according to its papers, is wholly owned by I-Media, which has given power of attorney over 100% of its shares into Imedi TV to the News Corp. Europe. The Imedi TV’s papers also indicate that the television stations board chairman is Badri Patarkatsishvili, who also owns shares into RTVi, an international Russian-language television network.
Giorgi Arveladze, head of the GNCC, said that the three television stations had to submit only the information about ownership and going further into details about who was behind any particular company was not up to the GNCC.
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