Public broadcasting in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc appeared on the ashes of state television and radio companies. For many in the post-1991 period, public broadcasters – unless secretly privatised or put under state control – regularly delivered news and kept citizens updated on politics and culture. In some countries, such as Estonia or Latvia, these broadcasters grew into solid national institutions that enjoy the trust of the majority of citizens. In others, such as Russia, public broadcasters are mediocre, almost artificial media outlets struggling to keep the attention of the small proportion of the country’s overall viewers that have tuned in.
But in Georgia’s highly polarised media and political landscape, public television has an even tougher burden to bear: trying to find balance in an environment that is actively seeking to avoid it. The country’s popular commercial TV channels are politically aligned with the government, led by the Georgian Dream party, and the main opposition party, United National Movement, respectively – and constantly flood their viewers with angry accusations about ‘the other side’. And so the country’s Public Broadcaster, set up in 2005, is meant “to provide accurate and up-to-date information that is free from political and commercial bias and is shared without any hidden agendas”.
Though Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgian president at the time of its founding, wanted the Public Broadcaster to acquire a leading position in the media market, this result is yet to be achieved. The Public Broadcaster is behind all the main channels in terms of ratings, except for entertainment programmes. Independent experts have also criticised the broadcaster for aligning with pro-government positions.
