Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TBILISI1026
2008-06-16 13:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

IMEDI TELEVISION RECOGNIZES THE CHANGED

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #1026/01 1681354
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161354Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9650
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001026 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO GG
SUBJECT: IMEDI TELEVISION RECOGNIZES THE CHANGED
ENVIRONMENT AND CHANGES WITH THE TIMES

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001026

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO GG
SUBJECT: IMEDI TELEVISION RECOGNIZES THE CHANGED
ENVIRONMENT AND CHANGES WITH THE TIMES

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Imedi television - once the voice of the
opposition in Georgia - has resumed broadcasting, but
currently only broadcasts entertainment programming. Emboff
met with station general manager and director of programming
on June 10, 2008 to discuss when the station would restart
news broadcasts, the recent management changes at Imedi
Radio, their relations with Joseph Kay (the new owner of
Imedi),and to get their assessment of recent political and
journalistic developments in the country. In their view
there is a new reality in Georgia: the days of widespread,
serious opposition to the government are over, although some
members of the opposition have not realized this fact. Imedi
is prepared to work in this new environment. Even in their
limited current role, Imedi is already thriving and expects
to continue to do well, while recognizing their new
limitations. End summary.

"We still have not been paid"
--------------

2. (C) Emboff met with Bidzina Baratashvili, Imedi's general
manager, and Davit Gogichaishvili, Imedi's new programming
manager (a Muskie program alumnus, who also runs an
independant production company) on June 10, 2008. When asked
about recent press reports that Imedi could begin
broadcasting news within the week, they replied that they
have not been able to completely repair the damage caused in
the November 7, 2007 raid on Imedi by Ministry of Interior
forces because the government has not yet paid for the
damages caused in the raid. During negotiations with
NewsCorp Europe executives and the government in late
November, before Imedi briefly reopended, the government
agreed to replace damaged equipment, but there was no
detailed settlement, just an agreement to settle the claims.
Now NewsCorp is no longer involved in the station, and there
is a new owner (former owner Badri Patarkatsishvili died from
a Febrary 14, 2008 heart attack in his London home). Imedi
management is not certain when they will be paid for the
damages.


3. (C) A further complication is that the agreement that

Imedi had with the government is only oral. All negotiations
with the government were couched in the allegorical terms of
rugby teams, with the wallabees (NewsCorp and Imedi) and the
lelos (the Government of Georgia) agreeing on certain terms
and conditions, but even then no final agreement was ever
signed after the government learned that NewsCorp did not own
any stake in Imedi.


4. (C) Imedi has tried to receive compensation from the
Ministry of the Interior without success, and has written to
President Saakashvili directly. Baratashvili asked the
Embassy to raise this issue with the GoG, since the USG
played a vital role in the original discussions to reopen
Imedi. Even without these funds they may be able to resume
broadcasting, but the new owner has been only putting money
slowly into Imedi. (Comment: In response, the DCM raised
the issue with the MOIA and was informed that the Prosecutor
General's Office is the appropriate point of contact. The
PG's Office will provide us with the responsible official and
we will pass to Imedi. End comment.)

"NewsCorp looks bad, and it is all because of Imedi"
-------------- --------------

5. (C) Baratashvili was quite critical of the NewCorp
leadership and said that now he can only conclude the worst
conspiracy theories for why NewsCorp ever got involved in
Imedi in the first place. He pointed out that the entire
NewsCorp Europe staff has been demoted or fired, and claimed
that the reputation of NewsCorp within the broadcasting world
has taken a blow, strictly because of the Imedi situation.
He confirmed that NewsCorp never invested in Imedi, and never
provided them any real direction or training. Lewis
Robertson, the head of NewsCorp Caucasus, was ineffective and
unaware of what happened at Imedi. According to Baratashvili
NewsCorp functioned largely as a cover for Patarkatsishvili
with the government, and he saw no benefit to NewsCorp in the
arrangement. He speculated that NewsCorp was acting on
Berezovsky's behalf, observing that perhaps the GoG's
conspiracy theories were "not really that far off base".
Martin Pompadour, the former head of NewsCorp Europe has been
demoted to running NewsCorp Russia's radio network and
outdoor advertising company (which they reportedly are trying
to sell).

"Kay is the owner, that is for sure"
--------------

6. (C) When asked about the new owner of Imedi, Amcit
businessman Joseph Kay, Baratashvili and Gogichaishvili

TBILISI 00001026 002 OF 002


confirmed that he is paying Imedi salaries and has paid off
station debts. In their view the lawsuits against Kay by the
family of Patarkatsishvili are baseless and "will go nowhere
in this country". Kay is largely an absentee owner, but does
have a lot of money and is very interested in running Imedi
as a profitable business. Baratashvili said that
Patarkatsishvili could pour 4 Million dollars a month into
Imedi, but Kay won't because he is not interested in building
a political empire.


7. (C) On his last trip to the Imedi studios Kay fired the
head of top-rated Imedi Radio, which had remained the most
opposition friendly national medium during the parliamentary
election. Kay appointed the former press spokesman for Davit
Tkeshelashvili, the Minister of the Regions, in her stead.
In meetings with the radio journalists afterwards Kay and the
new Director assured staffers that the editorial line of
Imedi Radio will not be changed. Baratashvili observed that
things have changed in Georgia, and predicted a sort of
"creeping annexation" of Radio Imedi - "just listen in six
months and you will mostly just hear music".

"Why should I bother broadcasting news, we are first"
-------------- --------------

8. (C) Baratashvili shared the latest television ratings for
Georgia with the Emboff. Currently Imedi is running a three
year old Venezuelan soap opera (Wildcat) in the 9:00 pm prime
time slot, against Kurieri, Rustavi 2's news program.
Strikingly, in the most recent ratings they are beating
Rustavi 2 by more than a two to one margin in viewership.
Georgian Public Broadcasting is watched by 6 percent of the
viewing audience, and Mze by 2 percent, so even though they
are nationwide stations their current viewership is
negligible. Baratashvili said that "News production is
expensive, and frankly why should I bother?", but the station
is firmly committed to broadcasting the news again. They
have retained a cadre of news braodcasters and will try to
promote from that group rather than hiring new journalists.
They do intend to offer shorter newscasts, 45 minutes long,
instead of the 100 minute telecasts that are often the norm
in Georgia. Gogichaishvili plans to schedule a political
talk show in the fall, but one that would only run one time
per week, and on a variety of themes that are not strictly
political. They observed that the public seems to be tired
of political upheaval, as was reflected in the most recent
election results.

"The opposition ended on February 14th"
--------------

9. (C) In a comment on the Parliamentary elections, and the
general state of the opposition in Georgia, Baratashvili gave
his opinion that Patarkatsishvili had been financing the
opposiiton and directing their actions. Upon his death the
opposition not only lost any financial base, but also lost
the only person that seemed aware of how to operate
politically in Georgia. "From that point on they were
hopeless and lost". Baratashvili is confident that Imedi can
survive in Georgia, but only as it understands the new
realities. Of the current opposition leaders Giorgi
Targamadze alone understands the new situation, according to
Baratashvili.


10. (C) Comment. Prior to their November 7, 2007 shutdown
Imedi television functioned in some ways as the general
headquarters of the opposition in Georgia. Imedi gave them
ready access to the public, and at times shaped their
message. Rustavi 2 and Mze continue to show very strong
loyalty towards the government in their editorial line.
While it is good that Imedi will resume news broadcasts, it
is uncertain whether it will represent an alternate
viewpoint. This is unfortunate for the development of
democracy in Georgia. One bright spot may be that Georgian
Public Broadcasting has made serious steps toward presenting
a more balanced view and has opposition representation on
their board. Baratashvili observed with somewhat bitter
irony that it is very sad when a new group speaking out for
journalistic freedom is led by Mamuka Ghlonti - a cable tv
producer of music videos - and when Ghlonti publishes
protests signed only by a handful of regional print
journalists. End Comment.

TEFFT