ComCom fines Formula TV 10,000 GEL
The Communications Commission has fined Formula 10,000 GEL for violating the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting.
According to the Communications Commission, monitoring conducted between September 14 and September 16 revealed instances where presenters and correspondents on Formula's 5:00 PM news programs expressed personal opinions and violated statutory requirements regarding impartiality.
"The violations identified by the Commission involved assessments made by correspondents and presenters during news programs—specifically, coverage of current political and social issues based on the broadcaster's personal stance, a practice restricted by law. Specifically, the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting prohibits the coverage of news and socio-political programs based on personal attitudes or opinions. Broadcasters are prohibited from covering political or other forms of conflict, or current public policy issues, within news and socio-political programs based on their own personal attitudes or opinions. Consequently, restrictions apply not only to the expression of the broadcaster's position but also to the coverage of such conflicts and public policy issues in a manner that reflects that position.
Given that TV channel Formula has already received three sanctions for similar violations over the past year—a written warning and fines of 2,500 and 5,000 GEL—under the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting, the broadcaster must now be fined an amount not exceeding 3% of its annual revenue, or a minimum of 10,000 GEL," reads the statement.
Mediachecker responded to the Communications Commission's decision to fine TV channel Formula. A statement issued by them notes that the TV channel was fined under Paragraph 5 of Article 54 ("Fairness and Impartiality") of the Law on Broadcasting.
"Based on its own media monitoring, the Communications Commission has fined the TV channel Formula for the third time—this time in the amount of 10,000 GEL—for violating the article of the Law on Broadcasting that pertains to content regulation.
The Media Services Regulation Department monitored selected news programs aired by Formula between September 14 and 16 and concluded that the TV channel had once again violated Paragraph 5 of Article 54 ('Fairness and Impartiality') of the Law on Broadcasting." In the Formula news program, the systematic use of phrases such as "Dream's Prime Minister," "Georgian Dream's Security Service," "Dream's Parliament," "Ivanishvili's Prime Minister," "Dream's Ministry of Finance," and "Georgian Dream's President" in the controversial segments was deemed to constitute coverage based on the broadcaster's personal attitude or opinion. According to the reasoning provided by the Media Services Regulation Department, these phrases "represent an expression of the broadcaster's opinion and personal attitude regarding the activities of state bodies/institutions," the report states.
