Many Believe in Tbilisi That Cutoff of Satellite Broadcasting of First Caucasian TV Channel Is a Result of Moscow's Pressuring

Satellite broadcasting of programs of Russian-language First Caucasian TV Channel from French satellite that belongs to Eutelsat Company was stopped on Thursday. The First Caucasian TV Channel was formed on the basis of Georgian Public Broadcasting.

According to preliminary agreement made with the company the programs of First Caucasian TV Channel was broadcast from January 15 through January 28 in the test mode.

According to General Producer of the Russian-language TV station Zurab Dvali, heads of Georgian Public Broadcasting are currently conducting negotiations with the French company in Paris.

In his interview with BBC Zurab Dvali said that the cutting off of the broadcasting could have been done "with the help of Russia".

Dvali doesn't rule out the possibility that Russia has pressured the French company in order to make it refrain from prolonging the contract with Georgian Public Broadcasting.

An anonymous representative of Eutelsat told French newspaper Le Figaro that there was outside "interference" that may harm the company.

According to Le Figaro, Georgian side condemned Russia's actions, but it now has to decide how to act in connection with the French communications company, it has to either take into account Eutelsat's potential future problems and understand its position or condemn it for giving in to Kremlin's pressuring.

Experts say that Georgian state formed the First Caucasian TV Channel in order to counteract the Russian propaganda that the latter spreads through its TV stations.

The TV station first launched its programs through internet and later cable networks in the beginning of January; the programs are mainly intended for the countries of the South Caucasus and Russian Federation's republics situated in the North Caucasus.

Based on the statements made by an anonymous French diplomat, Le Figaro states that "Kremlin puts pressure on Eutelsat in order to make it annul its contract with the Georgian side".

"If we fail reaching an agreement with the French company, we'll broadcast our programs via other satellites"- Zurab Dvali told BBC.

Le Figaro notes that Eutelsat did the same thing in 2008 when it stopped broadcasting Chinese TV station New Tang Dynasty Television. That TV channel was criticizing Chinese government. However, at the time Eutelsat attributed the cutoff to technical issues.