Letter to the Editor: Georgia: Former TV Tycoon Plans New Channel to Challenge Government
EurasiaNet.org received the following letter from Mr. Erosi Kitsmarishvili in response to a story posted on December 3, 2009, titled; "Georgia: Former TV Tycoon Plans New Channel to Challenge Government." The letter is published here in full, without modifications and with Mr.Kitsmarishvili's consent. [For background click here].
Dear EurasiaNet,
I would like to express my deepest respect towards your publications and to avoid further misunderstandings, I call on you to state my position without any modifications, exactly as it was formulated by me during the interview " GEORGIA: FORMER TV TYCOON PLANS NEW CHANNEL TO CHALLENGE GOVERNMENT" given to for you publication several days ago. I would like to emphasize in particular that in my deliberation I have not said a word or explored a topic which had been highlighted in the headline of that article, especially the part in which as if I said that Maestro TV Channel under the new management is planning to overthrow the SAAKASHVILI's Government. I am just indignant in this regard!
Despite frequent speculations made by different informational agencies over the issue stating that "I was one of the masterminds of the Revolution of the Rose of in 2003 which overthrew the previous government without bloodshed", I always used to say and would like to confirm once again that Georgian people was the real driving force behind those tumultuous events and mainly their protest against the injustice exercised by previous government was the main source this thrilling public exposure.
Even though I personally have critical attitude towards SAAKASHVILI's administration, in each interview given by me, including the one given to your journalist, I always used to affirm and reiterate again that my function in MAESTRO TV and in the mass media in general is to support creation of free and independent discourse and news; to protect the rights of journalists and to oppose the current censorship editing policy by my knowledge and experience, as of professional media manager.
For solving such a difficult task I invite all journalists and human rights' defenders both, from Georgia and from outside of the country to join me. I hope to a great extent that representatives of the European Union and US Government are ready to support the fair strive of the Georgian people to build democratic and successful civil society the important part of which is free media.
Sincerely,
Erosi Kitsmarishvili
EurasiaNet.org Response:
After a thorough review of EurasiaNet's recorded interview on November 28, 2009, with Mr. Kitsmarishvili for the December 3, 2009 story "Georgia: Former TV Tycoon Plans New Channel to Challenge Government," we stand by the story as published.
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