Georgia TV claims Kremlin pressure took it off the air
A newly established Georgian satellite television channel is
claiming that it was taken off the air by its France-based provider
due to pressure from the Russian government, RFE/RL reported.
The Russian-language First Caucasian channel, run by Georgia's Public Television, was launched on satellite on January 15, targeting Russian-speakers in the region.
Representatives of First Caucasian say their French satellite provider, Eutelsat, stopped transmitting the channel after signing what they describe as a "lucrative contract" with the Russian satellite company Intersputnik.
In a statement sent to the French AFP news agency, First Caucasian accused Eutelsat of being a "tool of Russian censorship."
Public Television head Gia Chanturia told RFE/RL's Ekho Kavkaza that after Eutelsat signed the contract with Intersputnik, it requested "urgent" talks with First Caucasian.
"It is very strange," Chanturia said. "First we received information that they had problems with our content. Then they said this wasn't the problem, that it was a technical issue. Then they said it wasn't a technical problem but a commercial issue. We're still trying to figure this out."
Eutelsat denied that it was pressured by Moscow, and said it has had a contract with Intersputnik for years that was recently renewed.
The company also said it had carried First Caucasian's broadcasts for a weeklong test period in January and is now waiting for the channel to sign a contract to resume broadcasts. Vanessa O'Connor, a spokeswomen for Eutelsat, told AFP that the provider is prepared to sign a contract with First Caucasian and begin broadcasts. *
The Russian-language First Caucasian channel, run by Georgia's Public Television, was launched on satellite on January 15, targeting Russian-speakers in the region.
Representatives of First Caucasian say their French satellite provider, Eutelsat, stopped transmitting the channel after signing what they describe as a "lucrative contract" with the Russian satellite company Intersputnik.
In a statement sent to the French AFP news agency, First Caucasian accused Eutelsat of being a "tool of Russian censorship."
Public Television head Gia Chanturia told RFE/RL's Ekho Kavkaza that after Eutelsat signed the contract with Intersputnik, it requested "urgent" talks with First Caucasian.
"It is very strange," Chanturia said. "First we received information that they had problems with our content. Then they said this wasn't the problem, that it was a technical issue. Then they said it wasn't a technical problem but a commercial issue. We're still trying to figure this out."
Eutelsat denied that it was pressured by Moscow, and said it has had a contract with Intersputnik for years that was recently renewed.
The company also said it had carried First Caucasian's broadcasts for a weeklong test period in January and is now waiting for the channel to sign a contract to resume broadcasts. Vanessa O'Connor, a spokeswomen for Eutelsat, told AFP that the provider is prepared to sign a contract with First Caucasian and begin broadcasts. *
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