Media in Gori

Arriving in Gori the first eye-catching thing, the novelty for Gori dwellers is brand new newsstands absolutely similar to the ones in Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi, called as Prime Time newsstands. But thus far the newsstands in Gori sell only lottery tickets. According to the news agents the press is expected to be delivered in the forthcoming days. Old newsstands are still present few steps away from the new ones. Press is mainly sold in Chavchavadze Ave and on the auto station territory. "The new newsstands in the town," according to the local journalists, "popped up so suddenly the way Stalin's monument disappeared. Sakrebulo has not discussed the issue."

Trialeti TV and Radio Company

During the August 2008 Georgian-Russian war the invaders exploded Gori TV tower, Trialeti TV and GPB First Channel transmitters were destroyed which resulted into the suspension of Trialeti TV broadcasts, temporarily though. The TV company resumed broadcasts through audio-video equipments purchased within the grant received from the US Embassy in Georgia.

Trialeti TV has been broadcasting in Shida Kartli region since 1990. The TV channel founded by the brothers Badri and John Nanetashvili was first named Cinema and used to broadcast from Kareli, a town adjacent to Gori. From the early 90s the TV company was eventually based in Gori as Trialeti TV.

TV broadcasts were initially conducted with just one video camera and video recorder. Currently the TV company, located in a three-storey building, has got a studio for talk shows and news outlets, as well as an editing room and a newsroom.

The TV company airs news five times per day as well as the talk show Hot Line. The studio rooms 24 people. In the course of the program phone calls are accepted live. Hot Line is aired three times per week.

Several programs including youth and religious are currently off air due to holidays until September.

"From June we launched re-broadcasting of Maestro TV programming which resulted into the irritation of the local authorities. The TV company being annoyed cancelled all the contracts concluded with us," said Badri Nanetashvili reporting to Media.ge. He is the co-founder of Trialeti TV, former MP having resigned from the position of President's deputy state envoy to Shida Kartli few months ago.

In the course f dismantling Stalin's monument on June 25, Badri Nanetashvili reported,

journalist Lado Bichashvili was beaten by strangers, the cameraman was seized the camera. The camera was later given back but with the footage deleted.

"The representatives of the authorities refuse to take part in our programs. Earlier, ahead of re-broadcasting Maestro TV programming they used to easily got in touch with us. Several times we asked the Governor too to visit us but he refused," Nanetashvili said.

In December 2003 Trialeti TV founders founded Radio Trialeti which broadcasts 24/7 on FM 104.8.  In addition to the news outlets the radio air is filled with music and youth programs. An hour is dedicated to the radio Liberty re-broadcasts. Currently the main source of funding of the TV and Radio Company is grants. Minor income is received from advertising, Badri Nanetashvili said.

Press

Three public-political newspaper in total come out in Gori. The Kartlis Khma (Voice of Kartli) and Khalkhis Gazeti (People's Newspaper) are independent editions. The Goris Moambe that uses to come out under the name of Lomchabuki until 2010 is being published by Gori Gamgeoba.

The Kartlis Khma was founded in May 2006. The editor of the edition is Saba Tsitsikahsvili. The regular circulation of the newspaper doesn't exceed 500 copies. The newspaper coming out three times per month is being distributed in Gori. The newspaper being published in the Tbilisi printing house costs 40 Georgian Tetri. Five journalists are employed at the editorial office.

According to the editor-in-chief the newspaper initially used to come out through minor funds and journalists' children took part in its dissemination.

We launched publishing during hard times. The individuals willing to collaborate with us encountered problems. Even though there we still some people thinking this newspaper was to come out," said Saba Tsitsikashvili. The editorial office, he said, has received no grant for particularly the newspaper. The Kartlis Khma has taken part in the coalition projects many times, e.g. in the projects by the regional media association and so forth.

The newspaper is for sale mainly through shelving. The distributor helps with the dissemination too but in addition to other editions and in Gori only. But at least from time to time the newspaper is being disseminated in the villages in Gori region if any of the journalists or anyone else travelling to either village carries the newspaper copies with him/her.

The editorial office tried to start cooperation with schools in Gori so that schools themselves could cover school life but the offer was declined. Only two schools are the newspaper subscribers, on private expenses, not from the school budget.

The main problem still remaining to the editorial office is obtaining public information from local authorities.

"For a few days now the Governor's office has quit sending press releases to me, a short while ago I used to receive them without any delay," the Kartlis Khma editor said.

Due to no access to the information we printed the only sentence on the front page of the newspaper "Give us Pubic Information!" It was a successful attempt. The newspaper came out on Monday and on Tuesday I was called and told I could pick up the information I had requested. The obtained documents were published in the newspaper," Tsitsikashvili added.

The Kalkhis Gazeti has been coming out since 2003 on a weekly basis. The editor of the newspaper is Rezo Okruashvili. Up to ten journalists provide the editorial office with newspaper materials from Gori and adjacent villages. The circulation of the newspaper tops 1,200 copies on a weekly basis, 30 copies are re-tailed, 1,000 copies are being distributed among the subscribers. The newspaper has got subscribers in Gori villages too. The Kalkhis Gazeti is being disseminated in Kaspi region as well. It is noteworthy the copies remaining are being delivered to IDPs and socially unprotected families free of charge.

In 2009 the Kalkhis Gazeti received a grant from the Open Society Georgia Foundation. The grant aimed at the arrangement of the distribution network and raising public awareness of the edition. As a result of the project the circulation of the edition and the number of subscribers boosted.

According to Rezo Okruashvili the local departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are closed bodies for the editorial office, even the most "harmless" information is almost impossible to obtain from them.

"For instance we had intended to cover one working day of a policewoman but despite numerous attempts we failed to obtain any information from MIA," the newspaper editor said.

According to Rezo Okruashvili they have got sufficient number of computers in the office. Few months ago the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) gifted the editorial office with three PCs. The main source of income for the newspaper is sales and grants from donor organizations. The share of advertising is minor in income.

"The main customers for advertising are NGOs. Local small businesses such as restaurants, beauty parlors and the like refrain from advertising since they are afraid of attracting extra attention of tax services," Rezo Okruashvili pointed out.

Gori Gamgeoba publishes a weekly newspaper named as Lomchabuki until July 28, 2010. On July 28, according to the decision by the Sakrebulo chairperson, the edition was renamed as Gori Moambe. Gori authorities have been publishing Lomchabuki for years now. It has been renamed many times but as a subordinate edition kept covering Sakrebulo activities. The newspaper receives an annual funding of up to GEL 40,000 from the state budget. A four-page edition costs 30 Georgian Tetri. The newspaper is essentially distributed among the state-funded organizations and, according to one of the newsagents, it's available for sale once in a while.

On the Front of Information War

The Karaleti village in Gori region is situated few km. away from Tskhinvali. Most of the houses herein survived the August war undamaged. According to the locals no fresh newspapers are being delivered in the village. There is no access to Internet, therefore television is the only source of information. TV air, in addition to the Georgian Imedi TV and Rustavi 2 airs offers Russian propagandistic channels and the programs by the TV controlled by the authorities of de facto Republic of South Ossetia. But in the villages located within the conflict zone Maestro and Trialeti TVs are also available which is an alternative source of information.