ComCom Fines Formula GEL 10,000 for Violating the Law on Broadcasting

The Communications Commission has fined Formula GEL 10,000 for violating the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting. As part of the monitoring carried out from 14 to 16 September, the Commission identified cases in which presenters and correspondents expressed personal opinions during Formula’s 5 p.m. news programmes, in breach of the impartiality requirements established by law. 

The violations identified by the Commission included assessments made by correspondents and presenters during news programmes that reflected coverage of current political and public affairs based on the broadcaster’s personal attitudes, which is restricted under the legislation. Specifically, the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting prohibits news and political programmes from covering issues based on a broadcaster’s personal attitudes or opinions. Broadcasters are prohibited from covering information reflecting political or other forms of confrontation, as well as current public policy issues, in news and political programmes based on their personal attitudes or opinions. Therefore, the restriction applies not only to expressing the broadcaster’s position, but also to covering political or other forms of confrontation and current public policy issues in a manner that reflects that position. 

Due to the fact that Formula had already received three sanctions for similar violations over the past year—a written warning and fines of GEL 2,500 and GEL 5,000, the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting requires that the broadcaster now be fined an amount of up to 3% of its annual revenue, or no less than GEL 10,000.