ComCom Fines Sezoni TV GEL 2,500 for the Use of Foul Language

The Communications Commission has fined Sezoni TV GEL 2,500 for violating the rights of minors. More specifically, the Commission received a complaint from individuals who alleged that derogatory and offensive statements were made against them during the live broadcast of Sezoni TV programme “Summary of the Day with Nikoloz Mzhavanadze.” According to the complaint, the report contained hate speech and was intended to incite hostile and negative attitudes.

The Communications Commission examined the circumstances and determined that despite the offensive nature of the programme content, the conditions for qualifying the comments as hate speech were not met. To qualify as hate speech, the content must demonstrate incitement to violence or hatred against a person or group of persons based on disability, ethnicity, social background, gender, nationality, race, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, skin colour, genetic characteristics, language, political opinion, other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, place of birth, or age. The Commission therefore rejected the complaint.

Nevertheless, the Communications Commission deemed that the programme aired by Sezoni TV from 21:00 to 22:16 was unsuitable for minors, as the host and the guest used foul language. According to the Georgian Law on Broadcasting, a broadcaster must protect the interests of minors and refrain from broadcasting programmes unsuitable for minors under 15 years of age between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM. Due to the fact that Sezoni TV had already committed a similar violation in the past year, the Communications Commission imposed the minimum fine of GEL 2,500 on the broadcaster, since Sezoni TV's annual revenue is GEL 0.