Moscow
14 May 2009
Supporters of the Georgian opposition shout as they attend "a corridor of conscience" rally in front of the Public Television building in Tbilisi,14 May 2009 |
Hundreds of opposition protesters have closed off all but a side entrance to Georgian State television, creating what they call a Corridor of Shame through which TV employees must pass. They are jeered as they walk by.
The Corridor went up a month ago, but was temporarily halted last week.
Nino Burdhanazde (file) |
Burdhanadze says State Television broadcasts slanted information about events transpiring in Tbilisi, and regarding the opposition and opposition parties, which do not consider the programming to be objective.
The director of Georgian State Television, Levan Kubaneshvili says the opposition refers to the Corridor as a form of moral terror against television employees. He told VOA the opposition is given plenty of airtime.
Kubaneshvili says he thinks State TV is responding adequately to all opposition activity; inviting its activists four times each week to appear on political talks shows. He says they have free airtime, and news programs cover all opposition activity, but they want more.
Georgian authorities shut down independent media in November 2007 after President Saakashvili declared a state of emergency amid mass demonstrations against him. While the crackdown ended soon after, the degree of Georgian media independence from the government has been the subject of controversy ever since.
The opposition accuses Mr. Saakashvili of authoritarian rule and has been staging renewed protests against him since last month.