GPB to Sue French Eutelsat

On February 2 the Georgian Public Broadcasting (GPB) is going to sue the French-based satellite provider Eutelsat at the Paris court, the Georgian daily 24 Hours reported.

The goal of the suit is the refusal to the Georgia's Russian-language First Caucasian Channel on the prolongation of the satellite broadcasting.

According to the Georgian side the refusal is absolutely ungrounded and the pressure by the Russian authorities had been exerted upon the European satellite provider.

The Russian-language First Caucasian went off the air on January 28. The TV channel launched satellite broadcasting on January 15, 2010; previously the First Caucasian programming was available via the Internet.

Reportedly EUTELSAT disconnected TV broadcasting from the satellite due to the expiration of the trial period, and the new contract with the channel has not been yet concluded.

Reporting to the 24 Hours Levan Gakheladze, Chairperson, GPB Board of Trustees said the French company hasn't submitted any written documentation on its decision.

The French company confirms the fact of pressure by Russia in private talks with Gakheladze. Another proof is the EUTELSAT concluding a contract with Russia's Gazprom Media Group following its refusal to the Georgian TV company.

"The Georgian side has been offered the service by the tenth satellite which doesn't provide the coverage of the CIS countries and the Russian part of the Eastern Europe," added Levan Gakheladze reporting to the 24 Hours.

Gia Chanturia, GPP director General speaking at the February 1 press conference held in Paris said the visit to the French company and an attempt of regulating the problems turned out futile.

"Being disconnecting for just telling the truth in the Russian language is not right," Chanturia said at the press conference.

The Georgian side hopes the court ruling will be favorable to them.