29 August 2009, 19:00
REN TV disagrees with the fine imposed by Georgia
The REN TV Russian Channel finds the fine that was imposed by Georgia for its broadcasting in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as the Channel is not broadcasting "in any of these three countries." This was reported by Anton Nazarov, head of the press service of the REN TV.
"We find the fine imposed by the Georgian National Commission for Communications on the REN TV ungrounded, and we would be grateful to the Commission for information about the companies, which are illegally relaying our signal, so that we could readdress the fine to them and collect from them the loss inflicted to the REN TV by illegal broadcasting," said Mr Nazarov.
According to his story, after President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili banned in August 2008 broadcasting of Russian TV channels in the territory of Georgia, the REN TV had to "early terminate the contracts signed for 2008 with all the partners in that territory and not to sign new ones from January 2009," the "Georgian Times" reports.
"Thus today, there's no REN TV's broadcasting in the territories of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and if any - it's illegal," the "Interfax" quotes Mr Nazarov as saying.