TV4 has shut down the broadcast. The employees of the channel have addressed this form of protest after they said that the pressure on Kvemo Kartli regional broadcaster was aggravated. The channel"s leadership says that certain forces force them to change their editorial policy and interfere in personnel policy.
Director General of the channel tells "Courier" that the pressure on television has been exacerbated after the post of the head of the news department became vacant. After that, some forces requested the director to appoint as a head of news department their candidate.
Names are not mentioned yet, but they confirm that there are government groups behind the pressure. Journalists expressed ironical thanks to the mayor of Rustavi only.
Irakli Tabagua excludes pressure on the channel in the telephone conversation with "Courier". He was surprised to see his surname in the protest address. The Mayor linked the protest to tender results that TV4 has lost.
TV4 has been broadcasting in Rustavi for 21 years and is the main TV channel in Kvemo Kartli. For 21 years, the pressure was on the channel, but this form of protest was applied to for the first time.