Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili pledged on February 20 that not a single TV company or newspaper will be closed down during his presidency.
“Not a single television company or newspaper will be closed down during my presidency regardless the criticism in my address. My people know the truth and they [opponents] will cause no harm to me with their criticism,” President Saakashvili said at a news briefing on February 20.
He promised that the freedom of media will face no danger during his presidency.
This month, two of the leading Georgian channels unexpectedly canceled talk shows featuring political debate. Because both had high ratings, it seems unlikely that they were canceled for financial reasons, that sparked speculations over the authorities’ pressure on media.