The pre-election period and Election Day represent a special focus for the Public Broadcaster. The opportunity to make an informed choice is an invariable condition of the democratic process, First Channel provided equal opportunities to all political parties to present their programs and allocated airtime on TV and Radio programs to both qualified and non-qualified electoral subjects, debates were held with the participation of all qualified parties.
The Public Broadcaster was the only media outlet which, in line with the law, allocated time to all political entities running in the elections and fully met the commitment on the allocation of political/pre-election commercials.
The Public Broadcaster, based on its mission and goals, actively cooperated with representatives of the OSCE/ODIHR and other international observer missions in Georgia in the pre-election period,” said GPB Director General, Tinatin Berdzenishvili.
The October 27 interim report of the OSCE/ODIHR mission said: The public broadcaster’s coverage of candidates was mostly positive or neutral in tone. It devoted significantly more time to the ruling party than to other parties in news coverage. The use of political propaganda by private media outlets undermined the independence of news coverage and intensified political confrontation rhetoric. The lack of impartial analysis of the political parties’ programs and the refusal of leading political actors and parties to participate in debates, limited the voters’ opportunity to make an informed choice.”
The GPB First Channel conducted internal media monitoring in the pre-election period of the 2024 parliamentary elections that aims to calculate the airtime allocated to electoral subjects. Significantly, carrying out internal monitoring is not a legislative obligation but the accountability of the Public Broadcaster.
Debates 2024
On October 21, the GPB hosted pre-election debates inviting all qualified electoral subjects. Six qualified electoral subjects were invited, namely “Coalition for Changes – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa,” “Unity-National Movement,” “European Democrats,” “Patriots Alliance of Georgia,” “Girchi,” and “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia.” However, “Coalition for Changes – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa” and “Unity-National Movement” refused to participate in the debates.
The debates were accompanied by sign language, translated into Armenian and Azerbaijani languages and broadcast on the radio.
Web Portal
In connection with the 2024 parliamentary elections, the GPB First Channel created a special web portal Elections 2024 https://elections.1tv.ge/, which published pre-election and elections-related news. The portal content is constantly updated in the pre-election and post-election period.
Moambe
Moambe in its 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, and 21:00 News Bulletins covered all significant activities of electoral subjects, their election programs and viewpoints.
Public-Political Programs
From September 27, after completion of the election registration procedures at the Central Election Commission (CEC), a daily program Elections 2024 was on the air at 19:00 and each of the qualified and non-qualified electoral subjects was allocated prime airtime of no less than 5 minutes. Seventeen of 18 electoral subjects used this opportunity.
Georgian Radio program Open Studio allocated its airtime in election format to qualified and non-qualified electoral subjects and a special program Diversity Georgia was broadcast in the pre-election period for ethnic minorities.
GPB First Channel kicked off a new program for the viewers “All Questions to CEC,” and the CEC Chairman responded to all questions of the society related to the election process. Citizens had the opportunity to ask questions via the web portal and social networks.
In the pre-election period, to raise media awareness, the program “Elections 2024 with Giorgi Gvimradze.”
Monitoring
The GPB carried out internal monitoring of the 2024 parliamentary elections.
The monitoring of all public and political programs on the GPB’s First Channel and Georgian Radio aims to calculate the airtime allocated to electoral subjects.
The monitoring is ongoing via a special program with a link to the TV program or coverage. Trained monitors will ensure the procession of the information.
Media Awareness
The GPB works for the entire society and its each member. Therefore, all information related to the elections in the pre-election period was accompanied by sign language. The GPB also broadcast elections-related information on the languages of ethnic minorities.
Advertising Time
Based on acting legislation, the GPB broadcasted a pre-election advertisement submitted by each qualified electoral subject free of charge 5 minutes every hour and every 3 hours equally distributed between these subjects and without discrimination during the electoral campaign under the condition that advertising time allocated to one electoral subject does not exceed 90 seconds. In addition to qualified electoral subjects, the GPB also allocated airtime for the pre-election advertisement to all other parties 10 seconds every hour and once in 3 hours equally and without discrimination under the condition that advertising time allocated to one electoral subject does not exceed 30 seconds.
Upon application, the GPB First Channel allocated political advertisements of the following political entities:
TV:
#4 Coalition for Changes – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa
#5 Unity -National Movement
#6 European Democrats
#8 Patriots’ Alliance of Georgia
#9 Strong Georgia – Lelo, For People, For Freedom
#16 Change Georgia
#17 Georgia
#20 Free Georgia
#21 Tribune
#25 Gakharia for Georgia
#27 Unity of Georgians
#36 Girchi
#41 Georgian Dream
Radio:
#6 European Democrats
#8 Patriots’ Alliance of Georgia
#16 Change Georgia
#17 Georgia
#20 Free Georgia
#27 Unity of Georgians
#41 Georgian Dream
Presentation of Program/Congress
The GPB First Channel offered parties, based on in-advance written application, the allocation of 10-15 minute airtime in its Moambe 12:00, 15:00, 18:00 or 21:00 News Bulletins for the presentation of their programs in case the electoral subject itself ensured live-transmission signal to the First Channel.
