Imedi TV owner hails broadcasting freedom as major achievement of Georgian Dream party

Irakli Rukhadze, the owner of Imedi TV, on Wednesday hailed Georgia's current media landscape as a sign of progress and freedom, citing the absence of licensing requirements for launching a television channel as one of the key achievements of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

In his remarks at a session of the Georgian Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission examining alleged crimes committed by the former United National Movement Government between 2003 and 2012, Rukhadze recalled the difficulties media businesses faced under the former United National Movement Government.

“We live in a unique country today, where you don’t need a license to start television broadcasting - this is one of the main achievements of the Georgian Dream [party]”, he said.

He recounted how, during the governance of the United National Movement, launching a new TV station was nearly impossible for those not aligned with the authorities.

“They wouldn’t allow us to create a new television channel. If Imedi TV had remained in their hands, we wouldn't have received a license. What could we do? We were winning bids with Imedi’s name, but they wouldn’t let us proceed. We couldn’t do anything - who would give us a license?” Rukhadze continued.

He described the current regulatory environment as “an unimaginable privilege”, and further added that it reflected broader improvements in the country.

“This is one of the Georgian Dream’s greatest accomplishments. It comes with many other benefits - protected business, rule of law, and a judiciary that is no longer seen as one of the main problems thanks to media freedom. Under Saakashvili, the courts could be manipulated. Today, that’s no longer possible. We must defend this achievement”, Rukhadze concluded.