“Maintaining ethical standards in the media is highly important for the freedom of expression. Repeated use of obscenity may limit the freedom of expression, including the freedom of obtaining information and freedom of choice. Protecting airtime from obscenity does not limit the freedom of expression. It raises freedom of expression to a higher standard,” the Chairman of the Communications Commission Kakha Bekauri stated at today’s public hearing.

Today the Communications Commission discussed the case of the programme aired by Mtavari Arkhi that possibly contained obscenity and will rule on the issue at the next hearing. According to the Chairman of ComCom, the pre-election media monitoring carried out by the Commission revealed that the broadcast schedule was saturated with obscenity to an unprecedented extent.

“Due to the fact that the use of obscenity has become frequent, and that the law regulates such cases since 2009, we have begun monitoring this issue, calling on broadcasters to pay due attention to this serious problem and refrain from broadcasting such programmes. When you insult people in front of a wide audience for holding a different view, you are implementing a malpractice, whereby people who wish to publicly express their opinion may refrain from doing so out of fear of being insulted and having their rights violated. I am talking about ordinary citizens, rather than politicians and public servants who have a duty to demonstrate patience. There are high standards in this regard, and that is the way it should be,” Mr. Bekauri stated.