Euronews and Silknet sign an MOU to launch “Euronews Georgia”
Euronews and Silknet, Georgia’s leading telecommunications company, are announcing the signing of an MOU in view of launching Euronews Georgia, a news channel and digital platform aimed at a Georgian-speaking audience.
After announcing last week the future launch of Euronews Serbia and in November 2018 that of Euronews Albania, Euronews, Europe’s number one international news channel, is in advanced negotiations with Silknet to launch its third franchise project: “Euronews Georgia”.
With these franchise projects and ongoing talks in other areas of the world, Euronews is fast moving towards its strategic goal to become the first “glocal” media in the world. Euronews continues indeed to grow as a global media, offering content adapted to the expectations of local audiences.
According to the MOU, Silknet, which broadcasts with its IPTV platform the world’s most watched sports, news, entertainment, and educational channels as well as its own channels, will benefit from the brand-awareness and reputation of Euronews, associating their new media with a household name in independent journalism.
Euronews has a solid track record and extremely high standards when it comes to delivering impartial news. Through its “All Views” editorial line, it has always been recognised as a trustworthy and independent media.
Euronews has found a trusted partner in Silknet that is committed to upholding and protecting Euronews’ reputation. Furthermore, Euronews will ensure that news is treated with strict impartiality by recruiting the editor-in-chief of the newly-created channel and by establishing and controlling an editorial board. The editorial board will delimit strategic editorial orientations, and will take any decision establishing rules regarding the editorial line and the general balance of programmes, which are linked to the media’s fundamental values (such as editorial independence, freedom of expression, impartiality…etc…).
Euronews will share content with Euronews Georgia to feature alongside the Georgian media’s original content. Euronews Georgia will in particular use Euronews’ European editorial content. In return, Euronews will benefit from content made by the local franchise, in a region of particular news interest.
Situated at the strategic crossroads of East and West, ranking 6th in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index and enjoying EU Associate Member status, Georgia is undergoing a modern revival of importance to audiences throughout the world.
Michael Peters, Euronews’ CEO said: “Just one week after announcing the future launch Euronews Serbia and a few months after doing so for Euronews Albania, we are delighted to announce the signing of an MOU with Silknet in Georgia, in view of launching Euronews Georgia. At Euronews, we have always been 100% committed to delivering impartial news and we have consistently, since our creation in 1993, been recognised as an independent media. We look forward to progressing in our collaboration with Silknet to offer a new high quality media, which will bring international news as well national news to viewers across Georgia.”
George Ramishvili, Chairman of Silknet’s Supervisory Board said: “Silknet will be Euronews’ partner in Georgia in developing Euronews Georgia, an independent news channel to broadcast in the Georgian language. This partnership is a great honor for us, but also a great responsibility. The philosophy of this project is to make an information bridge bringing Europe to Georgia and bringing Georgia to Europe. Silknet is a success story. We have turned an outdated dilapidated infrastructure into a high-tech company that offers Georgian customers a full range of telecommunications services. And now we are adding a highest standard international news content through the most-watched European news channel covering world news from a European perspective. I hope that this endeavor will be successful too.”
Silknet offers businesses and households the full range of telecommunication services, such as fixed telephony, fixed broadband based on fibre technology, IPTV and mobile. Silknet is rated B1/Stable by Moody’s and B+/Stable by Fitch Ratings.
Euronews is the number one international news channel in continental Europe, ahead of its competitors in terms of reach. Euronews broadcasts in 160 countries, reaching almost 400 million homes and almost 135 million people every month, according to the Global Web Index.
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