ComCom Presents the New Development Plan for Radio Broadcasters

The Communications Commission held a working meeting with representatives of Georgia's leading private FM radio broadcasters to present and discuss ComCom's initiative to simplify the licensing process for private radio broadcasting. The aim is to create more flexible conditions for radio broadcasters and save on investments.

More specifically, the initiative envisages increasing the number of broadcasting zones from 15 to 28, including dividing the Kakheti, Adjara and Samtskhe-Javakheti zones into three, and Imereti into five. This change will reduce the territory of each zone and help broadcasters save on investment costs.

In addition, the Communications Commission will make the requirements for the number, location and technical parameters of transmitters more flexible, which will allow the broadcasters to choose the best option for purchasing and placing transmitters.

In order to improve the quality of radio broadcasting, the Communications Commission significantly changed the licensing rules for private FM radio broadcasters in 2021 by developing a strategy for conducting competitions for radio broadcasters, and identifying fifteen geographical zones for local broadcasting. The Commission established technical conditions for broadcasting in each zone, such as the number of transmitters, their location, and their technical parameters, which the radio broadcasters had to comply with.

However, the assessment of the broadcasting market showed that most radio broadcasters would have found it difficult to make the mandatory investment specified in the licensing competition terms, which would lead to the cessation of broadcasting due to non-compliance with licensing terms.

After studying the feedback received from the radio broadcasters, the Communications Commission will begin the formal procedures to simplify the licensing process.