Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday pledged, “On behalf of the Georgian Government, we hereby guarantee that support will continue in the future so that the broadcaster with almost a century of history can provide the public with objective information about current events in Georgia.”

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the new building of the GPB First Channel on Politkovskaya Street, the PM noted that “the building stands out for its outstanding contents and is highly efficient in terms of infrastructure.”

“We were frequent guests of the Public Broadcaster, and journalists had to work under extremely tough conditions. They were working in a historic facility, but both the building and the equipment were out of date.

I am delighted that starting today, the Public Broadcaster will operate in a completely different setting, in a new building, studios, and with entirely updated equipment, which is extremely essential for any journalist,” the PM asserted.

The Prime Minister continued by noting that “there were years when the Public Broadcaster and journalists had to work under special political pressure; there were years when, along with private broadcasters, the previous government appropriated the Public Broadcaster as well.”

“Today’s scenario is completely different. Today, the Public Broadcaster enjoys the same basic right to media freedom as private broadcasters under Georgia’s Constitution.

Furthermore, we held consultations in 2017, when constitutional reform issues were discussed, and then in the Constitution of Georgia, in the seventeenth article, a record about the Public Broadcaster was specifically reflected, and Georgia is one of the few cases where the institutional status of the Public Broadcaster is guaranteed by the Constitution.

Moreover, the Constitution guarantees the Public Broadcaster’s independence from governmental agencies, as well as freedom from political and substantial commercial influence. This is the most sophisticated record found in several constitutions about Public Broadcaster. I believe this is the present attitude towards the media in general, particularly the Public Broadcaster, and that this building is another reflection of that mindset.

The history of Georgian television and radio broadcasting began with the Public Broadcaster. Therefore, it has and will always have a special importance for our country,” the PM added.

GPB First Channel’s new building has officially opened.