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Who Owned Georgia English.pdf

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Beridze as the representative. 26 Both companies also owned MzeTV. 27 Amendments to the <strong>Georgia</strong>n Law on Broadcasting in April2011 restricted companies registered offshore from owning abroadcaster. License holders were obliged to submit compliancedeclarations to the <strong>Georgia</strong>n National CommunicationsCommission (GNCC) no later than January 1, 2012. Before<strong>Georgia</strong>’s parliamentary elections in October 2012, LevanKaramanishvili owned 90% of Rustavi 2 and Mze TV, whileGiorgi Gegeshidze, Rustavi 2’s Director General, owned theremaining 10% of both 28 (the post-election change will be lookedat in the final chapter). Karamanishvili is a businessman whofounded the mobile phone operator Beeline/Mobitel <strong>Georgia</strong> 29and is involved with the internet provider, Caucasus Online 30 .In both companies, Levan Karamanishvili represents opaqueshareholders who hide behind offshore shell companies. 31Although not an opposition station, privately owned MzeTV was a popular channel whose history mimics Rustavi 2’s. Itwas founded in 2002 by Zurab Zedginidze, Levan Kubaneishvili,26 Public Registry. Ministry of Justice of <strong>Georgia</strong> 29/11/2011 https://enreg.reestri.gov.ge/main.php?c=mortgage&m=get_output_by_id&scandoc_id=346853&app_id=399438 Accessed on 05/12/201227 Public Registry. Ministry of Justice of <strong>Georgia</strong> 29/11/2011 https://enreg.reestri.gov.ge/main.php?c=mortgage&m=get_output_by_id&scandoc_id=346844&app_id=399441 Accessed on 13/12/201228 Public Registry. Ministry of Justice of <strong>Georgia</strong> 08/08/2012 https://enreg.reestri.gov.ge/main.php?c=mortgage&m=get_output_by_id&scandoc_id=447100&app_id=520160 Accessed on 13/12/201229 Public Registry. Ministry of Justice of <strong>Georgia</strong> p.10 https://enreg.reestri.gov.ge/main.php?c=app&m=view_doc&doc_id=82829 Accessed 13/12/201230 Rustavi 2 and Mze - the property of Saakashvili’s frind’s family. MayaMetskhvarishvili. Netgazeti.ge http://netgazeti.ge/GE/86/News/7650/Accessed 13/12/201131 After elections, TV stations reposition themselves and change ownership.Transparency International http://transparency.ge/en/blog/after-elections-tvstations-reposition-themselvesAccessed on 05/12/201213

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